


Second Chance

by phan_anon



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alcohol, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Anal Fingering, Anal Fisting, Barebacking, Biting, Blow Jobs, Come Eating, Death, First Time, Fluff, Hand Jobs, Knotting, M/M, Making Out, Masturbation, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Character Death, Nipple Play, Omega Verse, Omega!Dan, Pining, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rimming, Sex, Slavery, Slow Burn, Smut, alpha!Phil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-10-03 00:30:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 119,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10231484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phan_anon/pseuds/phan_anon
Summary: Alpha!Phil is a slave bought for Omega!Dan's use. But there's more to the Omega's story than Phil originally believed, and he may need the Alpha's help in a way he never expected.





	1. Day 1

Phil learned he had a potential buyer on the second morning after his first rut had ended.

 

The rut itself had lasted for almost a full three days, and at the end of it he’d been left feeling sweaty and exhausted and…alone. He’d seen no one but Beta slaves for the past three days, and they came and went quickly, leaving him food or water (to drink and to wash with), or taking away the used toys and bringing him fresh ones.

 

He’d avoided the toys at first. They’d embarrassed him with their lewdly gaping orifices that he’d guessed he was supposed to want to put himself inside of. They were dolls, meant to simulate Omegas in heat, complete with a sprayed-on scent that was at least a somewhat vague approximation of what an Omega smelled like. He’d left them on the floor and just used his hand at first, but as the desperation and delirium of his rut rose higher and higher, even the crude toys had started to seem almost alluring. After the first few hours, he’d finally caved and pulled one of them up onto the bed with him, pouring lubricant into its lower hole like one of the Betas had explained he should do, and then thrusting eagerly into it. There was a thickened pad on its shoulder that he could bite down on, and that combined with the almost-Omega scent had been enough to give him a sort of relief when he’d finally released inside it.

 

But of course that hadn’t been enough to fool his body. The relief lasted for only a minute or two and then he felt himself growing hard again, the desperate urge to fuck something, to bite it, to breed it and bond with it driving him to climb on top of the toys again and again and again.

 

By the second day he’d grown sick of them. The not-quite-right smell had lost its effectiveness and the cold plastic of the fake body no longer felt like anything but plastic. His body was sore and tired and his penis felt raw from all the stimulation, but he had to keep going. He had no choice.

 

This was when the fantasies had started. He’d closed his eyes while thrusting into one of the toys and quite vividly hallucinated one of the Omega slaves stealing the key to his room and sneaking in, climbing up onto the bed with him and spreading their legs… It was never any specific Omega. He’d never been allowed near enough any of them to even so much as learn their names. After all, they were for sale too, and future buyers wouldn’t go near an Omega that had even a whiff of Alpha on them.

 

And the Omegas he’d known before he was sold? There had been few enough of them. Even as a child, parents had kept their Omega children far from him. A poor Alpha was nothing more than a danger.

 

Over time, the fantasies had grown more elaborate. The Omega would stay with him after he’d knotted them, would hold him and stroke his hair, and talk to him about their future together. And then he’d find out that the Omega was pregnant, that they were carrying his child, and just the thought of it made his rut-addled brain reel with pleasure. He’d always thought he’d like to be a father someday, but in a vague sort of way. And somewhere deep down, his rational mind knew that what he was feeling now was different — this was biological, that deep drive to procreate, to mate and breed, to pass on genes.

 

Finally, finally, on the afternoon of the third day, the frenzy had slowed. He’d still been hard, still felt painfully aroused, but his exhaustion had been stronger, and he’d managed to fall into a deep sleep at least.

 

When he’d woken, it was nighttime, all the toys had been cleared from his room, and a covered tray with his dinner sat on the floor near the door. He’d dragged himself over to it, eaten, and then dragged himself back into bed to sleep the rest of the night.

 

The following day was a bit of a blur. He’d felt so weary and achey when he woke in the morning, but one of the Beta slaves had beckoned him up, so he’d gotten up and followed them to the washroom and taken the first proper shower he’d had in days. When he’d returned to his room, he had clean sheets again, and he was grateful, at least, for that.

 

He’d fallen into bed and slept on and off again for the rest of the day.

 

It wasn’t until the following morning that he’d woken up feeling like his old self again. He lay in bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling and trying to process what had happened to him. He was a real, adult Alpha now. He’d spent so many years wondering if this was ever going to happen, even longing for it to happen, and now, suddenly, it had.

 

The thing was, Phil had been a late bloomer. He’d been sold to the slave house at fifteen by his parents’ owners because it had been assumed that his first rut would be happening soon. No one wanted to buy an Alpha slave that hadn’t been through their first rut yet — it was too much trouble keeping them under strict watch to make sure they didn’t go into rut unexpectedly and wreak havoc with some unlucky Omega. 

 

Not that Phil would have ever done such a thing. Even at the height of his desperation during his rut, he’d fantasized about a _willing_ Omega, one that wanted to be with him. He knew there were many Alphas who forced themselves on Omegas during their ruts — desperate, poor Alphas who couldn’t afford to marry or even to hire a prostitute to get them through rut sometimes took any Omega they could get their hands on. After going through his own rut alone, Phil thought he could understand their desperation, but not their willingness to hurt someone. Just the thought of doing something like that made him feel nauseated.

 

But in every other way, he supposed he wasn’t so different from those impoverished, young Alphas. His parents had both been slaves, his Omega Father a body servant of a well-off Omega, assisting him with things like dressing and doing his hair and drawing his baths. When his Omega Father had reached the age of his first heat, his owner’s Alpha Husband had decided he ought to have an Alpha of his own. So they’d bought Phil’s Alpha Mother, an Alpha slave just like he was now, and she had bonded with his Father and served in their masters’ house just as he did. 

 

Phil had been an unintended consequence, though.

 

His Omega Father had been on birth control, but they must have left the implant too long before changing it or something because one day when the doctor came to see him, she explained that she couldn’t replace his birth control because he was pregnant. It had come as a shock to them all. His parents’ owners had had no intention of breeding them, but they had let his parents keep him, something that Phil had always thought of as a kindness. A child born to slaves wasn’t automatically a slave. Phil had been born free, but since his parents were both slaves, it was technically their owners who were Phil’s legal guardians. And they had decided to sell Phil to the slave house. Young, virgin Alpha slaves were rare enough that they fetched very high prices on the slave market. He supposed, as he thought about it lying there in his bed that morning, that his parents’ owners had made quite a sound business decision.

 

He couldn’t help hating them for it, nevertheless.

 

He missed his parents so much. They hadn’t chosen each other and they hadn’t exactly been in love, but they’d loved him, both of them. As slaves, they hadn’t had much time to themselves, but they’d spent every minute they could with him, playing with him and reading to him as a child, teaching him all they could, even taking him out on fun trips when their masters granted them a rare day off.

 

They’d both wept bitterly on the day he’d been taken to the slave house, but there was nothing they could do about it. They were slaves themselves. They had no say in the matter.

 

The owner of the slave house had paid dearly for him, and then it had turned out that Phil was a dud…or so everyone had thought. Most Alphas had their first rut around the age of 15 or 16, but Phil had been in the slave house for nearly two years already. He was creeping up on his 18th birthday with no rut in sight…until now.

 

Two years, and he’d seen three other Alpha slaves come into the house, have their ruts, and then be sold off. And Phil was left behind, bitter and full of self-hatred, wondering why they got to be normal Alphas and he was the one stuck with being a dud.

 

But then, a few days ago, he’d been sitting there in the dining hall feeling a strange, itchy restlessness creeping up into his limbs when suddenly, one of the Omega slaves had walked into the door on the far side of the room. Immediately, his head had jerked up, his nose in the air drawing deeply of the new scent in the air. He’d smelled Omegas before, plenty of times. He thought they smelled very nice, and he’d even had a couple of crushes in his younger years, but never had one smelled so…interesting before. His eyes had stayed glued to the Omega, watching as she took a cup and filled it with water and sipped from it, never leaving her until she at last stepped out of the room.

 

He’d been left sniffing the air, keenly aware of her scent in a way he’d never been before, and feeling a strange urge to follow after her. And that’s when he’d realized he was getting hard. For a moment he'd panicked, but then suddenly everything had clicked into place in his mind. It was his rut. He was going into rut. After all this time, all the days spent feeling useless, all the nights he’d been unable to fall asleep because he was afraid he really was somehow broken — suddenly, here it was.

 

He’d abandoned his food tray, shoving off from the table and rushing over to Elaine, the Beta slave who was in charge of the dining hall.

 

“Yes, Phil, what is it?” she’d asked, openly staring at the way he was covering his crotch with both hands.

 

“I, um, I think I’m going into rut, Beta Elaine. Could you notify the slave master for me?” he’d managed to stutter out, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

 

Her eyebrows had shot up as her gaze shifted at once to his face. She’d stared at him for a moment like she thought he might be lying, but then she’d nodded and called over two of the other Beta slaves who worked there. One she sent to notify the slave master and the other she set to watch the dining hall in her absence so that she could personally escort Phil to his quarters.

 

“Don’t even so much as _think_ the word Omega,” she warned him as she gripped him by the upper arm and steered him out the door, “because you aren’t going anywhere near one.”

 

Phil had nodded and suppressed a sigh. Of course he knew they weren’t letting him near any Omegas. The entire purpose of him being sold at the age he was was so that the slave master could guard him during his rut and ensure he was still a virgin when he was eventually sold off. Just like Omega slaves, Alpha slaves were only worth anything if they were still virgins.

 

This was because they were both typically sold to wealthy buyers looking for a sexual partner for themselves or their children. Omegas were sold as companions for wealthy Alphas, sometimes to bear their children, other times simply as play things. Alpha slaves like Phil were almost exclusively the latter. They were bought by Omegas who had lost their Alphas, whether through death or divorce, and were uninterested in remarrying. Or sometimes they were bought by Alphas who had tired of their Omega spouses and no longer wished to share their heats. Only on very rare occasions did they have the chance to bond or have children as Phil’s Alpha Mother had.

 

This is what Phil had been thinking about lying in bed on the second morning after his heat when the slave master had burst into his room after the most cursory of knocks and told him a buyer was interested in him.

 

The slave master was a big, round-bellied Alpha, not particularly kind but not especially cruel either. His main trait was an unerring sense of which decisions would lead to the greatest profit for himself. He’d taken to scowling at Phil this past year as it had begun to seem more and more likely that the Alpha he’d invested in was a dud. There had also been the occasional grumbling about how much money he was wasting on Phil’s upkeep — not that Phil didn’t do his fair share of helping out around the slave house. His parents had taught him hard work. He wasn’t afraid of that. He could have been happy, he thought, if that’s all his future owners had expected of him — hard work and nothing else.

 

Just now the slave master was grinning, though.

 

“It seems you’ll turn me a profit after all,” he said as he plumped down into the only chair in Phil’s small room. Unlike most of the slaves, he had a room all to himself; Alphas couldn’t be trusted around Omegas and Betas unsupervised.

 

He’d sat up in bed at the slave master’s entrance and slung his feet over onto the floor. He felt at such a disadvantage having to face the man while still in his pajamas.

 

“There’s a buyer looking at you,” the slave master had continued, slapping his thighs with glee. “And willing to pay quite the sum! Seems his precious Omega’s turned his pretty nose up at every other Alpha they’ve looked at.”

 

Phil’s heart sank at the man’s words. So he was to be a play thing for some lonely married Omega whose Alpha couldn’t be bothered with him anymore.

 

“The buyer will be by to see you this afternoon,” the slave master said then, rising from his seat again.

 

“So soon, Sir?” The question was almost wrenched from Phil by the sudden fear that clenched his stomach.

 

The slave master shrugged.

 

“He’s been looking for a while now, had enquired here a few months back already. Of course back then I had to tell him I didn’t have any Alphas for sale,” the man paused to cast a glare at Phil, who wanted to protest it wasn’t his fault his rut had taken so long to come. “But yesterday, as soon as I was sure you were sellable, I gave him a call, and luckily for you, he was still looking.”

 

“Oh,” Phil said, gaze drifting down to his feet.

 

“I’ll send someone over to dress you after lunch,” the slave master called after himself as he headed out the door again. As he pulled it shut behind him, the shell-shocked young Alpha inside the room was already the furthest thing from his mind.

 

So that was it then.

 

Less than a week ago, Phil had been convinced he was broken, not even a real Alpha at all. And just as he’d discovered, to his and everyone else’s surprise, that that wasn’t in fact the case, he was sold. Just like that. Like a refrigerator that just needed a new part put in before it could be plugged in and used. Like those dolls they’d given him during his rut — something to be used for as long as it was useful and that would just as easily be sent away once it wasn’t.

 

He found then that there were big, fat tears rolling down his cheeks, and he reached up to brush them away angrily. How stupid and naive those fantasies of his had been — of some Omega that would lie beside him in bed and hold him and talk to him and make a family with him. But the worst part was that those stupid, naive fantasies were all he really had. It’s not like he’d ever really wanted an Omega before now. It was just the way of things with Alphas and Omegas. While they might think of things like sex and relationships when they were younger, it was always in an abstract sort of way. Phil had certainly never been interested in having sex before his rut. He’d had just a handful of days to be interested in it, to consider the possibility and whether it was something he really wanted or not, before the choice was ripped away from him. They didn’t expect him to think anymore from now on, just do as he was told.

 

It was a very subdued young Alpha that the Beta slaves found seated on Phil’s bed that afternoon. He submitted meekly to having his face washed and his hair brushed and his clothes stripped off and replaced with just a robe. He knew it was because the buyer would want to check him over. Make sure everything was in proper working order. Read instructions before use. Batteries not included.

 

As he was led out into the corridor, he realized in a distant sort of way that he was probably leaving his room for the last time. Not that it had ever really been his. Just a temporary space. Just a storage room to hold him until he was ready to be sold.

 

The buyer was already waiting in the viewing room with the slave master when the Beta slaves ushered Phil in. There was a third person there, a Beta woman who Phil guessed by her dress and her proximity to the Alpha buyer must be a servant or slave of his.

 

The buyer himself was a middle-aged Alpha with a receding hair line and a pot belly. The sight of him chased Phil’s last drop of hope from his chest. He’d known, deep down, that the Omega he was destined for would probably be older than he was, but he’d hoped not that much older…not old enough to be his own father.

 

“Here he is, milord,” the slave master said upon Phil’s entrance, and Phil felt a shock run through him at the title, but he didn’t have time to pause and consider it. The slave master was motioning him over with a sharp gesture. “Come and stand here in front of us, slave,” he said.

 

So Phil walked over and stopped a respectful distance from the two older Alphas.

 

“He’s very pale,” the Alpha observed, looking Phil up and down with a raised eyebrow. “You’re sure he’s healthy?”

 

“You’ve seen his file yourself, milord,” the slave master murmured, lips parting in an obsequious grin. “He’s just not been out in the sun much in a while. As you know, he’s only just gone through his first rut, and we couldn’t well have him running wild outside before then.”

 

“No, I suppose not,” the Alpha replied, still gazing at Phil thoughtfully. “Drop your robe, boy,” he ordered.

 

Phil’s heart began to clamor sickeningly inside his chest, but he did as he was told, reaching up and untying the belt around his waist before shrugging out of the robe and letting it fall to the floor. One of the Beta slaves behind him scurried over and picked it up at once.

 

“A little on the skinny side,” the Alpha observed, looking Phil over with a gaze that made him feel all the more like some appliance on sale in a department store show room, “though I don’t think that will make much difference to him.”

 

“We keep all our slaves on a very well-regulated diet,” the slave master assured the man, “nutritious and healthy.”

 

“Hmm,” the Alpha said then nodded as though he’d made his decision. “Well, Dan did indicate that the boy’s scent was acceptable, and I’ll be damned if I’ve gotten even that much response from him on any of the others. We’ll take him.”

 

He snapped his fingers, and the Beta woman beside him moved toward Phil at once. He noticed now that she’d been holding something in her arms — clothes. As she shook out the shirt and trousers that Phil supposed were for him, the Alpha buyer had turned to the slave master and was speaking to him in a low voice about something to do with Phil’s price.

 

But Phil couldn’t focus on what he was saying because, without so much as a greeting, the woman was pulling an undershirt over his head and then holding out a pair of boxers to him, and while he blushed and hid his eyes and stumbled over the underwear as he tried to pull them on, all he could think was how mortifying it was to be dressed like this by a complete stranger.

 

“Come along, slave,” the Beta woman told him once he was completely dressed. He cast a glance over his shoulder at the slave master, unsure whether he was really meant to follow these new people’s orders yet. He hadn’t seen any money change hands, and he didn’t think it was like the slave master to let the goods out of his sight before they’d been fully paid for. But the slave master was deep in conversation with the Alpha (whose name he still didn’t even know), and the Beta was being very insistent. He cast a desperate look at the Beta slaves who had shown him in, but they both had especially blank expressions on their faces. He tried to still the quiver that shook his stomach and followed the woman as she led him out of the room.

 

She led him down the corridor and into the lobby — a grand room he’d never been allowed in during his entire time living here — and then swiftly out the front entrance to where a long, black car with tinted windows stood waiting, right there in the street. He could feel his heart fluttering in the back of his throat. This was real. This was really happening. He was leaving the slave house — forever, most likely — and going off to some stranger’s home.

 

The woman held open the back door of the car and indicated that he should get inside. The interior was cold with air conditioning and, once the door had been closed behind the two of them, very dark. He looked around: two sets of shiny, black leather seats, facing one another. The Beta woman settled herself in the seats across from him and then sat completely still and silent. Behind her, he could see through a darkened glass pane into the front seat where a driver sat waiting too.

 

It seemed forever before the Alpha who had just bought him finally joined them. Phil had been sitting, trying to match the Beta’s perfect calm instead of fidgeting all over the place like he wanted to, when suddenly the door opened and the Alpha slid onto the seat beside the Beta woman.

 

“Home,” he called up to the driver as he slammed the door shut behind him. “Put your seatbelt on, boy,” he tossed toward Phil as he fastened his own. “I just paid a pretty penny for you. Can’t have you dying in an accident before we even get you home.” He accompanied this with a grin and a snort of laughter that Phil was too scared to try to imitate.

 

“Celia, what time was the dinner this evening again?” the Alpha said to the Beta beside him as Phil pulled on his seat belt and the driver began pulling away from the curb.

 

“Seven thirty, Sir,” she replied promptly.

 

“Excellent,” the Alpha said and then glanced over at Phil again. “Just a short drive to the house, boy. Dan said he wanted to see you at once, so I’ll send you up with someone once we get there.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Phil answered just as promptly as the Beta had. His parents’ owners hadn’t been anything like nobility, but they had at least taught him how to speak to his superiors.

 

The Alpha sat back and pulled out a mobile phone then, transferring his full attention to it. Phil decided he’d probably mostly forgotten about his new purchase now. The Beta woman was staring down at her own mobile. He guessed that she was some sort of personal assistant or maybe just a body slave. He wondered if she was the one his new Omega had been discarded in favor of.

 

True to the Alpha’s word, the drive was very short, which was a telling fact. The slave house was almost in the very heart of the city. If this family owned a house so near the city center, they must be very wealthy indeed.

 

After about five minutes of driving, the car pulled up to a tall, stone-fronted building, and the Beta, Celia, leapt out at once to open the door for them. The Alpha, who still had yet to introduce himself to Phil, climbed out first, eyes still glued to his phone, leaving Phil to follow slowly behind. As they climbed up the steps to the front door, Phil heard the car pulling away and turned just in time to see it disappear around the near corner. Then he hurried in through the large, dark-colored door that the Beta was holding open for the two of them.

 

Once inside, he realized that the Alpha had already disappeared somewhere. He’d been right to think he’d already been forgotten. He stood in an entry hall with a tiled floor and a ceiling that was open clear to the first floor. He caught a glimpse of a balcony up above and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling before he heard someone calling his name.

 

He looked down again, expecting to see Beta Celia, but she too had disappeared now, and instead he found himself confronted with a different Beta. This one he guessed was a house slave. He was an older man whose weathered cheeks were raised in a soft smile.

 

“Follow me, Alpha Phil,” he said, beckoning Phil toward a stairway that opened off one side of the narrow room. He blinked, surprised without knowing why at first. Then it struck him — this was the first time anyone in this household had seemed to know his name.

 

“Omega Chesterworth has asked to speak with you for a few moments before you are shown to your quarters,” the elderly Beta murmured to him over his shoulder as they climbed the stairs. It was a creaky, wooden stair, and Phil noted how dark the old wood was. He guessed this must be a very old house. “His rooms are here on the first floor.”

 

_Chesterworth_ , he thought to himself as they finally reached the top of the stairs. So that was this family’s name. He didn’t think he’d ever heard of them before, though of course, why would he have? He’d never had much reason to think of nobles before.

 

They stepped into a carpeted hallway full of windows on one side and doors on the other. As they passed the first set of windows, he looked out and saw that they faced the street. They passed another set of windows before the Beta paused in front of one of the doors and turned to look at Phil. The smile had gone from his face now, and his clouded, old eyes had turned solemn. Phil found that the sickening thudding in his chest had picked up again, and there were stinging prickles of sweat sprouting in his armpits.

 

“The young master has had a very difficult time these past few months,” the old man murmured. “You must know he’s already had to go through one heat alone.” The man’s lips pursed up as though he were speaking of something he didn’t quite approve of. “He didn’t want a slave at first, but Alpha Howell insisted. Whatever he says to you, you must be respectful with him. I’ll be right outside, and if I think there’s anything…” The man paused and gave Phil a significant look.

 

It took Phil a moment to realize he needed to respond. His brain was still hung up on the phrase “young master.” Omega Chesterworth was the young master of the house? Then that meant the Alpha he’d met earlier wasn’t his husband at all, but his…father?

 

“Do you understand me, young man?” the Beta was asking, his eyebrows lowering into a glower.

 

“Yes, of course, erm…Sir,” Phil sputtered.

 

That brought a smile back to the Beta’s lips.

 

“I’m no ‘Sir’ to you, young man. Just call me Beta Tony. Now, if we understand one another, you should go on in. The young master has been waiting long enough.”

 

And then Beta Tony was opening the door, and Phil was stepping through into a room that was a stark contrast to the sunny corridor outside. In here, everything was black, and as the door shut behind him, he was plunged into a gloom so deep he could have almost believed it was evening already.

 

It was a large drawing room, and off to his right, he could see a door slightly ajar with the foot of a bed visible just beyond. Here, there was a black marble fireplace with two black armchairs set beside it. Over the window there were black curtains, and on a side table, he saw a bouquet of black roses. He heard a slight rustle of movement and then caught sight of a figure seated in the window seat, leaning against black cushions and dressed in an all-black suit. And that’s when it struck Phil how very wrong he’d gotten things. The Omega he’d been bought for wasn’t a spurned spouse, cast aside by an Alpha who’d found some younger lover. This wasn’t someone’s normal rooms but the quarters of a person in deep mourning. The Omega man seated there across the room staring out past the black curtains was a widow.

 

He saw the Omega’s nose lift into the air for a moment before his head whipped around. He must have been lost deep in thought if he’d smelled Phil before he heard him.

 

“Oh, I’m very sorry,” the Omega said in soft, very well-bred accents. “I didn’t hear you come in. You must be the new Alpha slave.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Phil replied, folding his hands in front of himself to keep them from fidgeting.

 

“Please, come in,” the Omega said, rising from his window seat and gesturing to the two chairs beside the cold fireplace. “Have a seat.”

 

Phil had no choice but to obey. The Omega moved away from the window to take the seat opposite him, and now that the man was no longer backlit by the light through the curtains, Phil got his first good look at his face. He was shocked. The Omega couldn’t have been more than a year or two older than Phil was himself. His face was very pale, like he hadn’t been outside in a long time, just like Phil, and there was something about his dark eyes that seemed not-quite-there.

 

“You’re so young,” he heard the Omega exclaim softly as he leaned forward from his seat.

 

“So are you,” Phil blurted out before he could think better of it, and then tacked a belated “Sir” onto the end.

 

The Omega blinked at him in surprise for a moment before letting out a faint breath of laughter.

 

“Well, yes, I suppose I am.” His lips lifted in the merest hint of a smile. “I guess you were expecting some shriveled old hag?”

 

Phil blushed.

 

“I— I—“ he stammered, trying to find some way to fix his blunder, but the Omega cut him off.

 

“You really did, didn’t you?” he said, letting out another tiny laugh. “No, no, it’s all right. I’m not offended. I guess that’s what you’d expect from…” He paused, swallowed. The tiny hint of a smile disappeared from his lips. “Well, from someone in my situation.”

 

Phil’s heart clenched suddenly in sympathy for this Omega. It occurred to him that as young as he was, he couldn’t have been bonded with his Alpha for very long at all. How awful it must be to lose one’s mate so young.

 

“Anyway,” the Omega was saying, “my name is Daniel, and I’m told that you are called Phil. Is that correct?”

 

“Yes, Omega Daniel,” Phil replied.

 

“You may address me as Omega Dan,” the Omega returned, leaning back in his chair and crossing his ankles. “And do you like to be called Phil, or something else?”

 

“Just Phil, please, Omega Dan.”

 

The Omega nodded, looked away toward the bare, black mantelpiece for a moment and then back at Phil.

 

“I suppose you know why you’re here,” he said then, eyes not quite meeting the Alpha’s, “why my Alpha Father bought you for me, that is.”

 

“Yes, Omega Dan.”

 

The Omega drew in a deep breath and then let it out in a sigh.

 

“It wasn’t really…what I wanted,” he said after a moment, chewing at his lower lip. “But after the first heat without…” He stopped, blinked his eyes rapidly for a second, swallowed, continued. “Alone, that is… I think my Alpha Father was right, and I really do need someone,” he glanced up at Phil’s eyes and then down again, “to help me through it.”

 

Phil just stared at him. He was still trying to make sense of it all.

 

“I guess the main thing I wanted to ask you,” Omega Dan went on, “was…well, I suppose how _you_ feel about it? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love my Alpha Father very much, but he can be a little…brusque. I doubt he’s even properly explained to you the situation…”

 

Phil had to choke back a snort of laughter. No, Omega Dan’s Alpha Father hadn’t explained a single thing to him. But even more than that, he couldn’t help finding everything the Omega was saying to him absurd. He was asking Phil how he felt about it? How he felt about being sold as a slave? How he felt about being offered up to a stranger to be used and played with like a toy? How he felt about the fact that he had never so much as seen a member of the nobility before today, and now they expected him to knot one?

 

He shook his head, not even aware that he had made the gesture.

 

“No, I thought he must not have,” Omega Dan said, taking the movement as a response to his previous statement. He paused, considering Phil with his hazy gaze for a moment. “Do you have any questions for me, then? I’ll do my best to answer them for you.”

 

Phil could only blink and stare. Questions? Did he have any questions? What more did he need to know, other than that he was here to service Omega Dan during his heats? That he was at the Omega’s beck and call? That he belonged to the Omega and his family now? He started to shake his head but then a question did occur to him.

 

His whole face flushed red, and he stared down at his toes as he spoke, but he managed to force the question out.

 

“Um, pardon me if it’s impertinent, Omega Dan, but…would you mind telling me when you expect your next heat?”

 

“Oh,” the Omega replied in a voice that told Phil he hadn’t considered the fact that the Alpha might wish to know such a thing. “No, I don’t suppose that’s an impertinent question for you to ask, Phil. It should be about a week from now.”

 

Phil managed not to let out a sigh of relief at that. So he would have a short reprieve. Just a little breathing space to settle in and learn a bit about who this Omega was before he was expected to…

 

“And they tell me you have recently had a rut?” the Omega asked, causing Phil to look up in surprise.

 

“Yes, Omega Dan, my first one.”

 

“Your first…” the Omega repeated, his dark, perfectly-groomed eyebrows rising up towards his hairline. “Good god. How old _are_ you?”

 

“Seventeen,” Phil said at once. “I’ll be eighteen next January.”

 

Omega Dan frowned and then shrugged.

 

“I guess that only makes you a year and a half younger than me.”

 

Phil nodded. So he had guessed the Omega’s age right. He must have been very recently married then, perhaps less than a year. It was no wonder his husband’s family had sent him back to his parents’ home. They probably hadn’t even been together long enough for him to bear the Alpha any children.

 

“Maybe this was a terrible idea after all,” the Omega said all of a sudden, standing up from his chair and striding back over to the window. “Maybe I should just tell Father to send you back.”

 

Phil felt like someone had just replaced all his blood with ice water. Send him back? Back to the slave house? The slave master would be livid. And all of the other slaves would share significant glances and laugh at Phil behind his back again, just like they always had — whispering that he wasn’t right, he wasn’t good enough for this Omega, he wasn’t a _real_ Alpha.

 

“No, please,” he blurted out, his voice strangled by the clawing fear in his throat. “Please, Omega Dan, I promise I’ll do anything you want me to. Please just don’t send me back.”

 

The Omega turned away from the window, but with the light behind him again, it was difficult for Phil to make out his expression.

 

“Was it bad there? The place where you were before, I mean?” His voice sounded soft, careful.

 

Phil’s mouth opened, ready to say that yes it was! It was awful, the worst— But that wasn’t really true. No one had hurt him or mistreated him at the slave house. He’d always had plenty to eat and a warm bed to sleep in every night. There had been work, but never too much, never enough to really exhaust him. And there had even been nice things. Sometimes he’d had free time to read or to stare out the window and think, and sometimes the Beta slaves would talk to him. He even thought of some of them as friends. Why was he so terrified to go back? The worst that could happen was…. He gulped, as it dawned on him. The worst that could happen was that they would sell him again. Some other Omega would buy him, and maybe they would be old and wrinkled and ugly and mean — all the things Omega Dan didn’t seem to be at all.

 

At the end of the day, Phil was still a slave. He couldn’t afford to be picky.

 

“It wasn’t bad, Omega Dan,” he said at last. “I just… If you send me back, they’ll just sell me to someone else.”

 

The Omega seemed to ponder this for a moment, his backlit form standing very still and quiet. Then at last he moved away from the window and back toward the seat he had been in before. To Phil’s shock, he saw tears on the Omega’s pale cheeks.

 

“You might be sold to someone you like better,” the Omega pointed out, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping at his cheeks with it as he sat down again. 

 

“I don’t dislike you, Omega Dan,” Phil said, feeling a lump rising in his own throat. It had been an emotional day for him, and he’d always had a hard time seeing other people cry. “I just don’t know you yet.”

 

The Omega had finished drying his cheeks, and he slid the handkerchief back into his pocket before he responded.

 

“I guess that puts us in the same boat, then,” he said finally, a wan smile lifting his lips. “Then…shall we agree to get to know one another better before…before we make any final decisions?”

 

Phil thought about it for a moment but then he nodded. What was there really to think about? The Omega was offering him the one thing he thought he no longer had — a choice. Of course he was going to take it.

 

“Good,” Omega Dan replied. “I’m glad we were able to come to an understanding. I’ll call Tony in to show you to your quarters now.”

 

He reached over and rang a little hand bell that sat on the table at his elbow, and a moment later the old Beta appeared at the door.

 

“Phil would like to be shown to his rooms now, Tony,” Omega Dan called.

 

“Yes, Sir,” the elderly Beta replied, nodding his head in deference before beckoning Phil over.

 

“We’ll see each other again soon, Phil,” the Omega murmured to him as Phil rose from his seat.

 

“I would like that very much, Omega Dan,” Phil replied before hurrying over to the door. Beta Tony shooed him out at once, and he didn’t even have a chance to glance back for a last glimpse of the Omega before the door clicked shut behind him.

 

“Follow me,” he heard Beta Tony say and had to force his attention away from the closed door at his back. 

 

He obeyed in silence, and the Beta held his own tongue as well as he led Phil to the far end of the corridor, where a second set of stairs led down again. He could tell from the narrowness and plainness of these stairs that they were for the use of the house slaves…and his now, too, he supposed. They must lead down to the slaves’ part of the house. The idea of it didn’t bother him too much. He’d lived in slave quarters all his life.

 

This part of the house wasn’t as spacious and beautifully furnished as the public and family sections had been, but it was clean and well-lit, and the room Beta Tony led him to at last was at least larger than where he’d lived at the slave house. It had a window on the wall opposite the door, and with the curtains open he could see it looked out onto a garden. It contained a bed against the left wall, a wardrobe against the back wall, to the side of the window, a desk and a chair against the right wall, and a bookshelf. That would be great if Phil owned any books…or anything else, for that matter.

 

“Omega Chesterworth seems to have found you acceptable,” he heard the Beta murmur to him as the two of them stood in the doorway looking the room over. Phil glanced over to see that the Beta slave had turned his old eyes on Phil now. “Just don’t forget, you are here for his happiness alone. That is the purpose you serve now, Alpha.”

 

“Yes, Beta Tony,” Phil answered promptly, dropping his eyes. As if he needed to be reminded.

 

“You seem like a good lad,” the Beta went on. “I guess we all just feel a little nervous having a strange Alpha in the house.” Phil raised his eyes to find that the Beta was studying him, his eyes more thoughtful than sharp now. “But we all care about the young master very much. Most of us have known him since he was a baby,” — Phil guessed the ‘most of us’ must refer to the house slaves — “so if you’re here for his good, then we can accept that.”

 

Phil nodded. His parents’ owners had had three children, an Alpha and two Betas, and in a way he’d felt like they were part of his family, even though he was just one of their servants. He could understand a little of what Beta Tony meant.

 

“Come this way, then, and I’ll show you around the rest of our quarters.”

 

After that Phil was taken around to the communal toilets and washroom, the kitchen and the slaves’ dining room, the laundry room, and the vegetable garden, which seemed to be what his bedroom window looked out onto. This was separated from the leisure gardens used by the family by a tall box hedge. Along the way, they met several of the other house slaves, all at their various work stations. It made Phil uneasy to see them all so hard at work and know he had no such tasks to perform. It made him feel even more an outsider than he already was. He hadn’t missed the fact that every one of the other slaves was a Beta, not a single Alpha or Omega among them.

 

“Is there anything I can help out with?” Phil asked in a sort of desperation as Beta Tony led the way back to the sleeping quarters. “Chores or anything?”

 

The Beta eyed him, pursing his wrinkled, old lips in a measuring way.

 

“What can you do? Know how to cook or clean or pull weeds or do laundry—?”

 

“I can do anything,” Phil assured him. “I used to work for my parents’ masters, before they sold me.”

 

The Beta narrowed his eyes for a moment but then shook his head.

 

“Maybe another day,” was all he said before coming to a stop at the door to Phil’s room. “Our dinner’s at 5:30, Alpha. See you aren’t late.”

 

“I won’t be,” Phil replied, trying to keep from sounding glum. The Beta nodded and then turned away, heading off to his own work, and Phil pushed the door of his new room open and slunk inside, feeling utterly drained. The alarm clock on his bedside table told him there was still nearly an hour until dinner. Since there was apparently nothing for him to do, he decided he might as well take a nap. After the day he’d just had, he needed it. He flopped down on the bed, reached over to set the clock to wake him in half an hour, and then rolled over and dropped right to sleep.

 

He woke disoriented, confused about where he was for several long seconds. In his dreams he’d been home, back in the room where he’d spent the first fifteen years of his life, next door to his parents. For those brief seconds after he woke, he thought that’s where he was again, but then it struck him that the room smelled wrong — too strange, not like him, and he couldn’t smell his mum or his dad anywhere.

 

At last, he woke fully and remembered where he was. Then there was nothing for it but to push himself up out of bed, walk down the hall to the communal washroom to brush his teeth with the brand new tooth brush he’d been given and splash water on his face, as much to wake himself up as to rinse away the few tears that had spilled out on the way there.

 

Dinner was all right. The food itself was great, much better than what the cooks at the slave house had made, and it was nice to have other people to share his meal with again. At the slave house, the slaves had been carefully segregated by designation most of the time. A few of the slaves here even chatted with him, asking general questions, such as his age and where he’d been born. Slaves rarely had happy pasts, so they generally avoided such topics as each other’s families, and there was no point asking about things like aspirations or plans for the future. None of them had any right to such things.

 

He learned a few things, though, about the house he was now to call home. It was inhabited by the Howell family, and Omega Dan was the eldest child of five, the only Omega, with his younger siblings split evenly between Alphas and Betas. Chesterworth was his married name, and he’d left the house to marry his Alpha a mere fourteen months ago. The slaves kept mum about what had happened to his Alpha, and Phil guessed it was better not to ask. The tragedy seemed to still be too fresh for all of them.

 

After dinner, he began to help clean up the dishes almost by habit, but once he got to the kitchen and tried to help with the washing up, he was firmly but politely turned away. It wasn’t his job, he was told, and wouldn’t he rather take a stroll out in the vegetable gardens to see the sunset?

 

So he did that instead, except it was just past midsummer, and the sun wasn’t anywhere near setting yet. It was still nice out here, and there was a bench he could sit on and watch some squirrels and birds rustling about in the hedgerows.

 

He didn’t know what he was going to do with himself all the time, if this was the most entertaining activity that was available to him. He wondered if Omega Dan would be willing to lend him a book to read or something, if he asked politely enough.

 

Eventually he decided he had wrung the last bit of enjoyment he could from sitting out in the vegetable garden, so he grudgingly took himself back inside to his own room. The clock beside his bed told him it was only 7:45, and he almost groaned. It wouldn’t be dark for another hour at least, and after his nap, he wasn’t sleepy anyway.

 

He walked around his room, pulling open doors and drawers, trying to find anything remotely interesting. He discovered that there were a few outfits in his wardrobe similar to what he’d been given to wear today. He noticed now that there was an insignia on the breast pocket of his shirt — probably something to do with the Howell family. Not like he knew the least bit about such things. The best discovery was in the desk. There were a few books in one of the drawers — a dictionary, a thesaurus, a Bible, and the Book of Common Prayer. It wasn’t much in the way of reading material, but it was better than nothing. Better than that, though, there were pencils, pens, a few blank notebooks, and some letter-writing paper.

 

Phil wasn’t exactly a scholar, but his parents’ masters had sent him to the local state schools until they’d decided to sell him, so he had at least a basic education. He opened one of the notebooks to the first page, pulled out a pencil and wrote the words “One day…” He paused, thought, and then added “an Alpha girl went for a walk to the corner store.” He had no idea what he was going to write, but that was the fun part, as far as he was concerned.

 

He’d filled three whole pages with the story of the Alpha girl’s fateful trip to the store when he was interrupted by a knock at his bedroom door.

 

He closed the notebook with the pen inside and then shoved it into a drawer before getting up to see who was at the door. When he opened it, he was shocked to find Omega Dan stood there. He was holding a laptop under one arm and a bowl of popcorn under the other, and he was dressed, not in his formal black suit of earlier, but just a t-shirt and sweatpants.

 

“Um,” he said, peering up and down the corridor and then up at Phil. “Can I come in?”

 

“Oh,” Phil said, pulling his door wider and stepping back. “Yes, of course, Omega Dan.”

 

The Omega hurried inside, setting the laptop and popcorn down on Phil’s desk and then waving a hand to indicate that he should close the door. Phil did so and then just stood there, looking at the Omega, no clue what he should do next.

 

“So, well,” Omega Dan said, reaching a hand up to flick a few strands of hair off his forehead and not quite meeting Phil’s eyes, “sorry to just burst in on you like this, but…. Well, do you want to watch a movie together?”

 

Phil’s immediate reaction was relief. Finally! Something interesting to do! But this was tempered by bewilderment. Why, exactly, would someone like Omega Dan want to be down here in a slave’s room watching a movie with him?

 

Maybe his face showed his confusion because instead of letting him answer the question, Omega Dan shrugged a little and said, “I mean, I said we should get to know each other better, and god I’ve been so bored cooped up in that depressing room upstairs, so… I mean, if you don’t want to, that’s f—“

 

“I do want to!” Phil blurted out, worried that the Omega was on the verge of talking himself back out of the room again. “I mean…” he added, fearing he’d sounded disrespectful, “I’ve been a bit bored too, Omega Dan.”

 

“Great,” the Omega said, his face breaking into a brief smile. It was a very pretty smile, Phil noticed for the first time. It had been difficult to pay much attention to what the Omega looked like upstairs where all he’d been able to think about was the Omega’s tragic situation. He realized after a moment that the Omega was glancing around the room, presumably scoping out a good place to watch a movie. His eyes returned to Phil’s face, and he gave him a sheepish little grin. “Guess we can sit on your bed?”

 

“Oh, sure,” Phil said, rushing over and smoothing the duvet where it was all wrinkled from his earlier nap. He heard Omega Dan behind him and turned to find him standing there with the laptop and popcorn. “Oh, let me,” Phil said, taking the popcorn from him.

 

The Omega grinned at him and then climbed onto the bed, crawling up to the head and leaning against the pillows. It wasn’t a very big bed, and Phil wasn’t sure there was really space for both of them, but he still set the popcorn bowl down on the bedside table and climbed up. There was a narrow sliver of space there beside the Omega, and he just managed to wedge himself into it. However, there was no way to not be squashed right up against him. The Omega shot him a glance of amusement and then took hold of Phil’s left arm, lifted it up and over his own shoulders until Phil’s arm was around him. All Phil could do was stare at him, his heart banging loudly in his chest.

 

“It’s the only way we’ll both fit comfortably,” Omega Dan told him with a shrug and then proceeded to nonchalantly pull the laptop out from under his arm and set it up on their laps. When he looked up from the screen to see that the Alpha was still staring at him round-eyed, he pulled away a bit and said, “Does this make you uncomfortable? Maybe we could sit on the floor instead…”

 

“No, it’s…it’s okay, Omega Dan,” Phil said. The Omega’s bony shoulders were jabbing into his arm, and he was worried he might notice how much Phil had started sweating, but also…this was the closest he’d ever been to an Omega who wasn’t his own father, and he couldn’t deny that that fact was stirring something inside him.

 

“Good,” his new master was saying. He’d returned his attention to the screen, where Phil could now see the menu for some animated film. “Do you like anime?”

 

“I don’t know,” Phil said. He’d heard some other kids at school talk about it before, but they’d never offered to show him any. He hadn’t been very popular. “I, um, don’t really know what it is?”

 

“Oh,” the Omega said, smirking a little as he pressed play. He began to lean back but then paused, twisting around to look into Phil’s face with a slight expression of alarm. “Wait, can you read? I put on the subtitles, but if you—“

 

“I can read, Omega Dan,” Phil replied, trying not to sound offended. After all, there were plenty of slaves who hadn’t gone to school at all.

 

“Okay, good,” the Omega said, relaxing as he leaned back against Phil’s arm once more. As a few gentle chords began to sound from the laptop’s speakers, Phil’s attention was mostly focused on how warm the Omega’s body felt where it pressed against his and on how interesting his scent was. It wasn’t exactly an arousing scent. Omega Dan still smelled strongly of another Alpha, and Phil’s every instinct was warning him to be cautious. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant scent, warm, like the Omega’s skin, with something in it that made Phil feel like he could relax a little too. He settled himself more firmly against the headboard and turned his attention to the screen, where a young girl slouched in the back of a car.

 

“This is one of my favorite movies ever,” Omega Dan whispered to him then, so Phil tried to tune out all thoughts of the Omega’s scent and focus only on the film. Fortunately, it turned out to be a very good movie, and Phil had no trouble at all concentrating on it. Still, he never stopped being vaguely aware of the man leaning against him, of every time he shifted so that his thigh pressed more closely against Phil’s or so that his hair tickled the skin of Phil’s arm.

 

It was only as the final, triumphant strains of the film’s music began to play that Phil realized the Omega had fallen asleep beside him. For several seconds he froze, unsure of what he was or wasn’t allowed to do. If he woke him, would he be mad? Would it be better just to let him lie there and sleep as long as he liked? How would the Omega feel if he woke in the morning in the bed of a slave rather than upstairs in his own comfortable quarters?

 

To stall for time, Phil reached out and shut the laptop and then moved it over to the bedside table to get it out of the way. Fortunately, his movements jostled the Omega a little and woke him. Phil looked down at the Omega’s face, bright pink on the side where it had been pressed against Phil’s chest, with eyes fuzzy and unfocused.

 

“What time is it?” he asked in a scratchy voice.

 

Phil glanced over at the clock.

 

“Just past 11:00,” he said, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the Omega any further than he already had.

 

“Mmm, definitely my bedtime then,” Omega Dan replied, eyelids fluttering shut as he leaned back against Phil. Phil stared. After a moment, the Omega added, “I’m cold. Can you pull up the covers?”

 

With rising panic, Phil realized that Omega Dan meant to sleep here, in his tiny bed. But where would Phil sleep then? Or… Phil’s heart began to hammer in his chest. Did he want to sleep with Phil?

 

“Please?” the Omega murmured, eyes still closed, face still pressed against Phil’s chest.

 

“Y-yes, Omega Dan.” Phil reached beneath them and pushed the covers down and then pulled them up over the sleepy Omega’s legs.

 

“And get the light?” the Omega added, sliding down off of Phil finally to rest his head on the pillow instead.

 

“Y-yes, Sir,” Phil replied, his voice barely a ghost of itself. He slinked off the bed and over to the wall, casting just a brief glance over at the tufts of brown hair sticking out from under his covers. Then he flipped the switch, shrouding the room in darkness but for a faint light filtering through the mostly-closed curtains over the window.

 

Rather than go immediately back to the bed, he paced over to his wardrobe instead and took his time about changing into his pajamas. He wasn’t really that sleepy, thanks to that cursed nap he’d taken earlier. He was just glad that the floor of this room was carpeted and that it was a warm summer evening. The floor wouldn’t be too uncomfortable a place to sleep on a night like tonight.

 

He padded back over to the bed on stocking feet, cast one more nervous glance over the dark lump that lay there and then settled himself on the carpet.

 

Only a few moments passed before he heard a rustling sound above him and then the Omega’s voice.

 

“Phil?”

 

He sat upright immediately.

 

“Yes, Omega Dan?”

 

“Why are you on the floor?” His voice sounded very small and unsure in the darkness, almost like a child’s.

 

“I, um, I didn’t think that you, um, would want me to—“

 

“Please,” came the Omega’s voice then. “I…I don’t want to be alone.”

 

So Phil stood up and, heart in his throat, pulled aside the covers and slipped underneath. The bed was only meant for one person, so there was no way for him to lie in it without pressing his body all against the Omega’s. Omega Dan didn’t seem to mind this, though, as he turned at once on his side and settled his back against Phil’s front. Something about the way their bodies locked together felt good, really good. Phil sighed a little and tried to relax, though he could still feel his heartbeat fluttering in the back of his throat.

 

The Omega’s breathing grew deep and slow almost at once, but Phil lay awake for what felt like hours, wondering what in the world all of this meant. Weren’t they supposed to just be getting to know each other? But all of a sudden, on his very first night here, he and this strange Omega were sleeping together. It wasn’t sexy, of course, or even really romantic. The Omega whom his body was wrapped around smelled thoroughly claimed, and no matter how many times he told himself that the other Alpha was gone, his most deep-seated instincts were telling him that nothing could ever happen between him and this Omega.

 

Except, his rational brain knew that wasn’t true. In roughly one week, he would be expected to have sex with Omega Dan, to take care of him during his heat, no matter what he smelled like. A nervous shiver passed through Phil as he wondered whether he would even be able to do it. What if he couldn’t get past Omega Dan’s bonded scent? What if he couldn’t, er, perform because of it?

 

No, no, that was silly. Bonded Omegas had sex with other Alphas all the time. If it were impossible, slaves like Phil wouldn’t even exist. But what if Phil really was a dud, as everyone had thought? What if _he_ alone, out of all Alphas, wasn’t able to do the one thing an Alpha slave was supposed to be good for? He’d be a laughingstock. And worse, he’d be _useless_. Alpha Howell would send him back to the slave house in disgrace, and the slave master would then sell him off to somewhere like a mine or a factory or some other place where his supposedly superior Alpha strength would be turned to hard labor.

 

His whole body had broken out in a cold sweat now. He was going to die at the age of 20 in a coal mine, having never done anything more with his life than write a three-page story about a girl who found talking tomatoes at a corner store.

 

The tears came next. In fact, it felt like they had been there the whole time, waiting just at the corners of his eyes for him to let his guard down enough for them to break free. He held in the noises that his throat wanted to make, though. He didn’t want to wake Omega Dan. He might be angry at having been wakened again, and even if he wasn’t, Phil would have to explain why he was crying.

 

He tried to bury his face against the pillow, to muffle the sounds he was making, but Dan’s head was there, and Phil got a faceful of his soft hair instead. His senses were suddenly attacked by the Omega’s warm scent, and…somehow it was very soothing. It made him think of drinking a cup of hot chocolate after coming inside from playing in the snow, or of the scent that rose from dry earth when the rain first fell on it. He drew in another deep, shuddering breath of it and felt himself calming down.

 

He was getting all worked up over nothing. After all, Omega Dan hadn’t even decided to keep him yet. No reason to make up trouble that may not even come.

 

He didn’t notice when he drifted off, with the tears drying on his face and his pillow, but when he woke in the morning, he was all alone.


	2. Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alpha!Phil and Omega!Dan have a big day out. (TW: alcohol, drunkenness)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out this gorgeous art that Nikki (pinofs on Tumblr, goldsaucr on Twitter) made for "Second Chance": http://pinofs.tumblr.com/post/158477808430 / https://twitter.com/goldsaucr/status/842411414052564992

The next morning was a quiet one. He’d woken early as he always did — years of getting up to help his parents with their morning chores had trained his body to rise with the sun. Yet Omega Dan had already been gone when he woke. He wondered if he’d left in the middle of the night. Maybe Phil had woken him with his crying after all, and he’d escaped as soon as Phil was asleep.

 

He had breakfast with the other slaves and again attempted to help with the washing up only to be politely rebuffed. After that, he tried to enjoy sitting out in the vegetable garden again for a bit before finally giving up and going back to his quarters. He could always try reading the Bible…or maybe the dictionary.

 

When he stepped into his room again, he was surprised to find Omega Dan there, sat in his desk chair and flipping through his thesaurus idly.

 

He looked up as Phil walked in and smiled. Phil noticed for the first time then that he had one huge dimple on the left side of his face.

 

“I can’t believe how bare your bookshelf is,” the Omega said, standing and carrying the thesaurus back over to the mostly-empty shelf. “Should I take you book shopping?”

 

Phil was still stood in the doorway, one hand on the doorframe and the other on the doorknob. He blinked in confusion.

 

“Um, if that’s what you want to do, Omega Dan,” he murmured.

 

The Omega’s grin deepened for a moment and then he turned and walked over to Phil’s bedside table.

 

“I forgot my laptop here,” he said, pointing to the device. “I came to get it, but then I realized how empty your room is, and I thought maybe I should leave it here for you. You said last night that you were bored.” He shrugged a little and then raised his eyebrows in a question.

 

Phil didn’t understand what exactly he was asking. Was he asking Phil if it was okay to leave his laptop there? Phil had never owned a computer, though he’d used them at school. He’d seen laptops before, of course, but he’d never really been allowed to use one. He wasn’t sure what one was really supposed to do with a computer anyway, other than school assignments.

 

“Oh, I don’t think I can take your laptop, Omega Dan. You’ll want it for, um, for something,” he tried to say, but the Omega just shook his head.

 

“I have a desktop computer I can use, and anyway,” he shrugged, walking back over to where Phil was still stood in the doorway, “if I want to use it, I can always just come down here. Hey,” he said all of a sudden, reaching out and taking Phil by the wrist, “come upstairs with me and I’ll give you the cord.”

 

Phil couldn’t protest, so instead he nodded and allowed himself to be led by the arm up the back stairs and into the corridor outside of the Omega’s rooms again. He thought he saw Omega Dan hesitate for a moment before pushing the door open. As soon as he stepped through, he understood why. He’d forgotten how utterly gloomy these rooms were, with everything in somber black and most of the sunlight blocked out by the heavy curtains.

 

“Here,” the Omega muttered as he pulled him through the door into the bedroom. “It’s just on my desk…”

 

The bedroom was just as bad as the sitting room. All of the bedclothes were black, there were black rugs on the floor, even the furniture had been finished in a dark, nearly-black varnish. The Omega dropped his wrist at last, hurrying over to a huge, dark desk, grabbing the laptop cord from on top of it, and then rushing back to where Phil was. The Alpha soon found himself propelled back out through the sitting room and into the corridor once more. He heard the Omega breathe a sigh of relief as soon as the door was shut behind them.

 

“Let’s drop it off in your room, and then I’ll call a car to take us to the bookstore,” he said, smiling up at Phil before leading him off toward the stairs again.

 

It finally began to dawn on Phil why Omega Dan might have decided to sleep in his room last night rather than his own.

 

“I, um, I don’t have any money for books, Omega Dan,” Phil said as he followed his master down the stairs.

 

The Omega paused mid-stair to stare up at him with a wrinkled forehead.

 

“Of course you don’t have any money,” he said. “I’ll buy the books for you.”

 

“Oh,” Phil said. Of course. That’s what masters did — provided for their slaves. “Thank you, Omega Dan.”

 

The Omega made a face all of a sudden and then glanced around. Seeing that there was no one nearby, he lowered his voice and leaned in a bit.

 

“Look, it’s…kind of weird to have you constantly calling me Omega Dan. I mean,” he paused, looking thoughtful, “if we’re going to be spending a lot of time together, it’s going to feel weird, especially if we…” Phil thought he saw a faint blush spread over the Omega’s cheeks, though the gloom of the stairwell made it difficult to tell. “Well, you know. Maybe, when it’s just the two of us, you could just call me Dan?”

 

“Okay, um….Dan,” Phil murmured, seized by a reflexive fear that he was about to be punished.

 

But Dan just grinned at him and motioned him onward.

 

A short while later, they were stood together in the atrium, waiting for one of the drivers to pull a car around front for them.

 

“Strictly speaking,” Dan was murmuring to him, “I am in deepest mourning and shouldn’t be going out to enjoy myself for at least another month. However,” he continued, with a brief lift of his lips, “this trip is for you, and not me. I think someone would have to be pretty harsh to try to claim that a trip to a bookstore counts as hedonistic enjoyment of life.”

 

“Depends on how much you like books, I guess,” Phil said, and was startled when Dan let out a laugh in response. It was the liveliest Phil had seen him since arriving.

 

“And there’s our car,” Dan said then and led the way out the door.

 

As soon as they were alone together in the backseat of the black car, Phil felt all sorts of questions crowding into his mind. Unfortunately, they were all questions he had absolutely no right to ask, such as, how long ago had Dan’s Alpha passed away? And, how long had they known one another before they married? And, had Dan been in love with him? Especially that last one because… Well, because yesterday when he’d first met the Omega, he’d _seemed_ like someone in mourning — somber, distracted, tearful. But today, without any obvious reason why, he seemed almost cheerful.

 

“I’ve realized I forgot to ask you whether you like reading,” Dan was saying, so Phil turned from watching the buildings pass by outside the window to look at the Omega on the seat beside him instead. He was gazing at Phil with a sheepish expression. “Um, do you actually want to go to the bookstore?”

 

A snort of laughter escaped Phil’s nose.

 

“Yeah, of course!” he said, and then hurried to add, “Sir.”

 

Dan made a face again and then waved a hand.

 

“Please, the driver can’t hear us. That’s what the glass is for,” he said, pointing with his chin toward the sheet of glass that divided the front seat from the back. “‘Sir’ sounds weird coming from you.”

 

It was on the tip of Phil’s tongue to ask why. He was a slave, after all. He’d called people like Dan “Sir” for his entire life. He couldn’t see what had changed, but if that’s what his master wanted him to do, it was what he was obliged to do.

 

“Okay,” Phil said.

 

“So what kinds of books do you like to read?” Dan asked then.

 

Phil frowned. He hadn’t ever really had much choice about what he read. It was pretty much anything he could get his hands on, or whatever he’d been assigned to read in school.

 

“I once read this horror novel that I really loved,” he said tentatively, “by Stephen King.”

 

The Omega’s eyebrows rose.

 

“You like horror?”

 

Phil shrugged a little.

 

“Yeah, I think so.”

 

Dan gave him a funny look, but then he shrugged.

 

“All right. If you like Stephen King, then you’re in luck. He’s written a sh— Uh, a ton of books!”

 

When the driver dropped them off in front of the store, a Beta whom Phil hadn’t really noticed was there before stepped out of the front seat. They were dressed in a dark suit and were very tall with an intimidating glare. They followed along behind Phil and the Omega, a quiet but looming presence. Dan didn’t seem to even notice they were there as he pushed open the glass doors and led Phil inside.

 

“I think horror novels are this way,” he said over his shoulder, “if you want to start there.”

 

Dan ended up buying the Alpha twenty-two new books to add to his bookshelf, and it would have been even more if Phil hadn’t managed to find reasons not to buy a good half of the books Dan wanted to. He’d tried to buy Phil every book he seemed to express even the slightest interest in, and it had taken all of the Alpha’s ingenuity to come up with reasons he didn’t really want them.

 

“Ugh, I’m starving,” Dan said as they made their way out to the pavement again. The bodyguard — as Phil assumed they were — carried their bags for them, though Phil had tried several times to offer to help. “Nat, can you phone home and tell them we won’t be back for lunch?” This last, the Omega directed to the bodyguard, who gave a single curt nod before somehow managing to open the car door for them while carrying three bags full of books.

 

“Are we going out for lunch then?” Phil asked as they climbed into the backseat of the car once more. 

 

“Yeah, I was thinking sushi, if that sounds good to you,” Dan said, sliding in beside him. Phil had noted that, despite last night, here in the car and in the store, the Omega had kept a strict distance between them.

 

“Sure,” Phil said, though he’d never had sushi before in his life. If it was what his master wanted,though, then it was what they would have.

 

It became immediately apparent as soon as the server came by to take their order, that Phil hadn’t a clue what sushi even was.

 

“What kind do you like?” Dan asked, pointing to the sheet and looking up at Phil expectantly.

 

“Um,” Phil said, scanning the list of unfamiliar names, looking for anything that would give him the remotest clue of what was actually in any of the dishes. “I, uh… Let’s just get your favorites.”

 

Dan shot a glance up at him, and Phil thought he saw a smirk play about his lips again for a moment. He hadn’t noticed until just then how full and pink the Omega’s lips were. They were actually really pretty.

 

“Oka-ay,” Dan said. “Mm, we’ll have a plate of the chu-toro. Oh, and how about this shiso saba? That sounds good, and, mmm, a couple of rolls… How about these two?” He checked off several things on the sheet and then handed it to the server, who had stood by with a polite smile the entire time. “Do you want a drink or something too?” Dan added, looking over at Phil.

 

“Oh, just…some water,” Phil said. The truth was, he’d hardly ever been inside a restaurant before, and the few times he had, he hadn’t been one of the people ordering food. He’d just been out with one of his parents’ owners, standing in for his dad or for the Alpha’s body slave, if they were sick or something. It felt very wrong to be sitting here, being served by the waitstaff, and it felt even more wrong that his master was asking him what he wanted and buying him things.

 

“Hmm,” the Omega said, raising an eyebrow, then turned to the server again. “I’ll have some plum wine cut with club soda,” he said. The server smiled, nodded, and then whisked away the menus.

 

When they had gone, Dan turned to Phil with an amused expression.

 

“Why didn’t you just tell me you didn’t know what sushi was? I know not everyone is into it.” His tone was gently chiding, but Phil thought he saw a sparkle in his eyes. They were brown, Phil noticed.

 

“I, uh, I just thought it was what you wanted, so—“ Phil stammered, but Dan made an annoyed sound with his tongue.

 

“You still could have told me you weren’t familiar with sushi,” he said.

 

Just then the server approached, carrying two waters and Dan’s glass of plum wine and soda.

 

“Thank you,” the Omega smiled up at the server as they set down the drinks. They gave a little bow before hurrying away again, and Phil guessed they knew who Dan was. He’d never seen a server bow to someone before.

 

Dan took a sip of the pale amber-colored liquid in his glass before holding it out to Phil.

 

“Here, try some of this and tell me whether or not you like it.”

 

Phil took the glass and stared down into it hesitantly.

 

“Isn’t it alcoholic?” he asked, glancing up at Dan with concern. He was still underage, after all.

 

“Yeah, but if I say you can drink it, you can,” the Omega shrugged.

 

Phil nodded. Of course. Dan owned him, so it was up to Dan to dictate what he could and couldn’t do. It was strange to think that, in this case at least, one Omega’s will could contradict the entire law.

 

He took a sip to discover that the drink was sweet and fizzy with a strange, almost-bitter under taste. He guessed that was the alcohol. He’d never tasted it before, but he was familiar with the smell.

 

“Well?” Dan asked, leaning forward across the table a bit.

 

“It’s…good,” Phil said, frowning down into the glass again.

 

“You sure about that?” Phil could hear laughter in the Omega’s voice.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Phil assured him, handing the glass over again. “I’ve just never tried alcohol before.”

 

Dan’s eyes gleamed a little in response to that, and he took a sip of the plum wine again.

 

“Would you like to try more?” he asked. “When we get home again, I mean.”

 

Phil considered it. He couldn’t deny he’d always been curious about what it was like to get drunk. Alcohol smelled kind of gross, but what he’d just tried was actually pretty tasty. He could see himself drinking enough of that to actually get drunk. On the other hand, was he really comfortable enough with Dan, who was still virtually a stranger, to get drunk with him? How did he know he could trust him? Then again, Dan owned him now. He could do anything he wanted with Phil, drunk or not.

 

“We don’t have to do it, if you don’t want to,” Dan said as Phil hesitated to answer. “We can do something else instead…anything you want to.”

 

“Why?”

 

Phil regretted the question almost as soon as he asked it. This was why it wasn’t a good idea for him to drop his master’s title or sit down to eat with him in a restaurant as though they were friends or something. It made him feel too comfortable. He opened his mouth to apologize, but he was prevented from doing so by Dan answering him.

 

“Well, I guess…I’ve just been kind of…bored and, you know, I’ve been cooped up by myself for a couple of months now, and…” Phil realized the Omega was getting flustered and felt even worse.

 

“I-it’s okay, Omega Dan. You don’t need to explain yourself to me,” he said, dropping his eyes and hunching his shoulders a bit.

 

He heard Dan sigh.

 

“I know I don’t have to, but, you know, I think I do need to.” Phil looked up to find the Omega frowning down at the table top. “I’ve never had a slave like you before, Phil. I don’t…I don’t know how I feel about it.” He paused, still staring at the empty table in front of him as though he were trying to puzzle out a particularly nasty maths problem. “I don’t want to feel like I’m just using you,” he said finally.

 

Phil bit his lip. His first instinct was to comfort the Omega, reassure him about their situation. But something stubborn deep inside him was reminding him that, whether he liked it or not, the Omega was, in fact, using him. Last night, he’d used him to not feel lonely. Today he was using him to not feel bored. And in less than a week, he planned to use him to get through his heat. He could buy Phil presents and treat him to lunches and tell him everything was his choice as much as he wanted, but ultimately Phil was little more than an expensive, elaborate doll for the wealthy Omega to play with.

 

He couldn’t say any of this, of course. Instead, he said,

 

“I’ve never been drunk before, Omega Dan. Can we try that tonight?”

 

The smile that spread across the Omega’s face in response to that made Phil’s chest feel heavy and painful.

 

Sushi turned out to be delicious, though Phil had a really difficult time figuring out how to use chopsticks. Dan finally told him it was fine to just use his hands. It made Phil feel weird, being the only one in the entire restaurant picking up food with his fingers to eat it, even weirder than he’d already felt. He hoped Dan didn’t plan to make a habit of taking him out like this. He just didn’t belong in a place like this.

 

He thought Dan might go back to his own room once they returned to the house, but instead he insisted on coming down to Phil’s quarters and helping him put his new books on the shelf. And then when that was done, he pulled his laptop off the bedside table and asked Phil if he wanted to watch videos online together.

 

And that was when Phil first learned just how much fun the internet could be when you were allowed to roam it freely and to your heart’s content. Dan started him off slowly, with videos of kittens and puppies, and then they moved on to other baby animals, until Phil spotted a fail compilation video in the suggestions, which opened up a whole new realm of possibilities. He didn’t realize that hours had passed until there was a knock at his door and then Beta Tony popped his head in and started to ask if he was coming to dinner.

 

“Alpha Phil, it’s past time for dinner, and—“ His words choked off mid-sentence when he caught sight of Dan wedged onto the bed beside the Alpha. “Oh, Young Master Dan! I’m very sorry to disturb you.” He pushed the door completely open and then offered the Omega a deep bow.

 

“That’s all right, Tony,” Dan replied, pausing the comedy sketch video they’d been in the middle of and setting the laptop aside. “I suppose I should be heading to my own dinner anyway. Phil, if you’ll excuse me.”

 

He cast an apologetic glance at the Alpha and then hopped off the bed. The Beta slave stepped aside to allow him to walk past and then turned a strange glance on Phil.

 

“Sorry I’m late for dinner, Beta Tony,” Phil said, jumping off the bed himself and hurrying over to the door.

 

“That’s quite all right, Alpha Phil. The young master’s wishes must take precedence, of course.”

 

After dinner, Phil didn’t bother offering to help with the washing up. He figured they’d just turn him away, and he had plans with Dan anyway. Or, at least, he hoped he did. Maybe Dan had forgotten about their plans to drink together. Or maybe he had simply changed his mind about them.

 

When Phil returned to his room, it was empty, but the laptop was still there. He debated at first whether he should touch it. Dan had said he was leaving it there for him to use, but…had he really meant that? What if Phil broke it somehow? Would he be punished? Still, he really wanted to know how that video ended…

 

Dan found him about half an hour later, watching a vlog made by someone in Australia. He looked up when the Omega walked in, eyes wide.

 

“Koalas are so cute,” he said. “I never realized how cute they were close up.”

 

Dan smiled and shut the door behind him and came over to the bed where Phil sat. That’s when Phil noticed the bucket he carried with him. Phil set the computer aside and looked down at the supplies the Omega had brought. There were several bottles of stuff Phil couldn’t name, some lemons and limes, a knife and cutting board, something that looked like a bag of leaves…

 

“What’s all that, Omega Dan?”

 

“Welcome to Chez Dan,” the Omega said, grinning as he plopped the bucket down on the floor beside the bed. “Tonight, I’ll be your bartender.”

 

Phil stared down into the bucket again.

 

“Bartender?” he asked, wondering what all that stuff was for. He’d never known that getting drunk required so much equipment.

 

“What? You didn’t think I was going to just make you shoot straight vodka or something, did you?” Dan scoffed, bending down and pulling out a bottle of clear liquid. “Though I will start you off with a vodka-based beverage. One mojito, coming right up!”

 

Phil watched from the bed as the Omega laid out all of his tools on Phil’s empty desk and then proceeded to mix together a clear drink with lime wedges and mint leaves floating in it. Phil had to admit it looked pretty tasty.

 

“Your drink,” Dan said, carrying the glass over and offering it like a server at a restaurant. Phil blushed.

 

“Thank you,” he murmured, taking the glass and bringing it to his lips. He sipped tentatively at first. The scent of alcohol was even stronger in this drink than it had been in the one at lunch. However, the main flavor that hit his tongue was lime and mint and a hint of sweetness. “Yum!” he said, taking a bigger drink. When he set the glass down again, he found Dan gazing down at him with a satisfied smirk. “Aren’t you having one?” he asked.

 

“In a bit,” Dan said, settling himself at the foot of the bed. “Ugh, we need to get you a bigger bed.”

 

Phil froze for a moment. So….did that mean Dan was planning to stay down here with him indefinitely? To mask his moment of confusion, he reached for his drink and took a big gulp of it.

 

“Whoa, whoa, not too fast now,” Dan said, leaning forward and grabbing the glass from his hand. “Drink too fast, and you’ll just get sick.” He set the glass down on the bedside table again and then leaned back against the bed’s footboard. “Maybe we should play a game.”

 

Phil found that he was suddenly sweating again. Well, when was he not these days?

 

“A game?”

 

“Yeah, like…truth or dare!”

 

Phil pursed his lips. He’d played truth or dare before, long, long ago when he was a child and still had friends his own age. In primary school, the other kids didn’t care as much that he was just the son of slaves and therefore beneath them. It was only when they grew older that they’d started shunning him. He still vaguely remembered how to play, but he couldn’t really see why Dan would want to play something so childish right now.

 

“Okay,” Phil said. “You go first.”

 

“Wait, wait,” Dan said, waving a hand to slow him down. “We have to decide the rules first. Okay, so…Let’s say, you take a sip of your drink after every round, and if you don’t want to answer the question or do the dare, you have to finish your whole drink.”

 

Phil tried to hide his bewilderment by taking another sip of the drink. He heard Dan sigh and looked up to see him rolling his eyes.

 

“Those rules sound fine to me, Omega Dan,” Phil said.

 

“Just Dan,” the Omega corrected. “Okay, now ask me.”

 

Phil felt even more confused until he remembered that he’d told Dan to go first.

 

“Oh, right. Truth or— Wait, aren’t you having a drink too?”

 

Dan frowned and looked away.

 

“Um, well, not an alcoholic one.”

 

“That’s not fair!” Phil objected at once.

 

“I know, I know,” Dan said holding out his hands in a helpless gesture. “I just…if I drink too much right before my heat, it makes it worse. The alcohol does _not_ agree with my hormones.”

 

“Oh,” Phil said. Right. Dan’s heat. Dan didn’t see the worried face he made as he was too busy sliding off the bed and heading over to pour himself a glass of cranberry juice. Apparently that was one of the bottles he’d had in his bucket.

 

“All right. Go,” Dan said once he’d settled himself on the bed again.

 

“Okay. Truth or dare.”

 

“Dare,” Dan said immediately.

 

Phil nodded, lifting his glass to his lips to buy himself some time to think of something good.

 

“Stop that!” Dan said, reaching over and grabbing hold of his glass again. “If you keep drinking, it ruins the point of playing the game.”

 

“Oh,” Phil said. “Right.”

 

He set his glass down, his brain whirring, trying to come up with a dare that was safe enough to give to his master, a noble Omega whom he hardly knew and who controlled his entire life.

 

“Um,” he said. “Quack like a duck.”

 

Dan snorted, his eyebrows twisting into an expression of incredulity.

 

“Really?” he said. “O-kay. Quack quack.”

 

Phil nodded and then yanked his glass back and took a long swig.

 

“Truth or dare, Phil?” 

 

Phil really didn’t want to have to talk about his life before becoming Dan’s slave, so it wasn’t that difficult a choice for him.

 

“Dare.”

 

Dan bit his lip for a moment, thinking, and Phil noticed that his two front teeth overlapped just a bit. That was surprising. He’d always assumed that rich people like Dan all got their teeth straightened as kids.

 

“Do ten press-ups in less than a minute,” Dan said at last, a glint in his eye. “If you can’t do all ten, you have to finish your drink.”

 

Phil almost sighed in relief. Ten press-ups? That was easy. He climbed down on the floor, lying flat and proceeded to do ten full press-ups in roughly twenty seconds. When he stood upright again, Dan was staring up at him wide-eyed. The glint was gone.

 

“Your turn,” Phil said, reaching for his glass and taking another large sip. “Truth or dare.”

 

“Oh, um, truth, I guess,” Dan mumbled, still staring up at him.

 

Phil bit his lip, settling back onto the bed with his legs crossed in front of him.

 

“Okay… What’s your middle name?” he asked. That couldn’t in any way be construed as an impertinent question, right?

 

Dan’s brows had wrinkled up again.

 

“It’s James,” he said. “Are you even trying? Those had to be the weakest dare and truth I’ve ever been given.”

 

Phil shrugged and reached for his drink, taking another big swallow. He’d almost reached the bottom. He was hoping that if he got drunk quickly, then the game would be over, and he would be safe from having to come up with non-dangerous things to ask or dare Dan.

 

“Okay, truth or dare, Phil?”

 

“Dare,” Phil said immediately.

 

Dan’s eyes narrowed a bit.

 

“Just a warning, but I have a personal rule that if you ask for the same thing three times in a row, you have to pick the other one the fourth time.”

 

Phil swallowed. He _really_ didn’t want to have to answer any questions. Not that Dan couldn’t command him to tell him anything he wanted to know anyway, but…he sensed that the purpose of this game was to give the participants free rein to ask and do things they wouldn’t normally. And that, frankly, was terrifying.

 

“Okay, Phil, I dare you to scream ‘I smell weird’ out the window.”

 

Oh, god. It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet. The entire household must still be awake. Phil shook his head. There was no way he was going to do that.

 

“Have to finish your drink th— Wait. You barely have any left. Hold on. Let me refill it for you,” Dan said, grabbing his glass with an evil grin spreading his lips. Phil watched in silence as he quickly refilled the glass with the rest of the mojito he’d mixed earlier. “There you are.”

 

Phil took the glass, filled almost to the brim, drew a deep breath and then tipped it back. His eyes and nose burned from the coldness and fizziness of the drink, but he kept going, downing it all in one go.

 

He set the glass down with a clink of ice to find Dan staring at him wide-eyed again.

 

“Well done, Alpha,” he said, reaching for his own cranberry juice and taking a sip. “All right then. My go.”

 

Phil couldn’t speak right away. Something about hearing the Omega sat at the end of his bed address him as “Alpha” had left him momentarily breathless.

 

“Go on,” Dan urged him.

 

“R-right,” Phil murmured. “Um, truth or dare.”

 

“Truth,” Dan said, holding Phil’s eye, almost as though he were daring him to ask something he really shouldn’t.

 

There was a strange warmth spreading through Phil’s chest. He thought it must just be the after-effects of hearing an Omega address him as “Alpha” for the first time. Or it could be the alcohol. He shook his head a bit to clear it.

 

“Um, how old were you when you—“ He paused. “Um, how old were you when you got your first kiss?” He’d been on the verge of asking how old Omega Dan had been when he’d gotten married, but fortunately he’d realized just in time how disastrous a question that would be.

 

The Omega’s eyebrows rose, and all at once the glint returned to his eye.

 

“I was thirteen,” he said, lips curling up into a smile. “It was my friend’s older Beta brother. Mmm. That’s a fond memory.”

 

Phil suddenly found his curiosity flaring. How much older? What had the boy’s name been? Had it been a good kiss? Had they dated? Of course, he had absolutely no right to ask any such question, so instead he went to take a sip of his drink and realized he had finished it.

 

“Oh, right. Um…let’s make you a sea breeze next,” Dan said, taking his glass again and moving over to the desk to mix his next drink. This one included the cranberry juice and another lime and was served in a much smaller glass. As soon as Dan handed it to him, he took a sip and then smiled. This one was just as delicious as the first.

 

“All right. Truth or dare,” Dan said. “And don’t forget the three times in a row rule.”

 

Phil nodded. It was either do a truth this round or the next. Or just finish his drink. He swallowed.

 

“Truth,” he said. Might as well get it over with.

 

Dan’s eyes took on a strange cast and then dropped down to stare into his cranberry juice for a moment.

 

“Truth,” he said after a moment. “Do you, um… Do you think I’m, you know… I mean… Do you find me attractive?”

 

Phil blinked a little in surprise.

 

“You’re beautiful,” he said, not quite understanding the question.

 

The Omega’s eyes flicked up to his face for a moment, and they looked unsure. His lips were turned down in the smallest of frowns. He seemed on the verge of saying something, but then all he said was, “Okay,” before he raised his cranberry juice to his lips and took a sip.

 

Phil drank from his glass too and then asked, “Truth or Dare.”

 

“Truth,” Dan said. Before Phil could even start to think of a question, though, he blurted out, “No, wait. Dare.”

 

“You can’t just change!” Phil objected, sticking out his lower lip. He was starting to feel very warm and a little vague. He wondered if he was drunk yet. He certainly didn’t think he would be acting like this around Dan if he were sober.

 

Dan puffed out a breath of air that ruffled the edge of his hair. Phil stared a little, surprised that he hadn’t noticed before what a rich brown color it was.

 

“Fine. Truth.”

 

The question sprang into Phil’s mind suddenly, almost of its own volition. Normally, he would have shoved it back down and left it unspoken, but somehow his normal filter wasn’t quite functioning at the moment.

 

“Why did you pick me?” he said.

 

Dan’s annoyed expression suddenly turned very blank. He stared at Phil for a moment and then his eyebrows drew together.

 

“Because I liked your scent,” he said, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world. And really, it should have been. Alphas and Omegas were generally only attracted to each other when they were compatible for bonding, something that they could tell based on each other’s scent. “Don’t you like my scent too?” Dan asked all of a sudden, his frown deepening.

 

Phil should have refused to answer. After all, based on the rules of the game, he didn’t have to answer unless it was his go and he’d asked for “Truth.” Even then, he could have downed his drink instead of answer the question. Nevertheless, the words just sort of slipped out.

 

“You smell like another Alpha,” he said, raising his glass to his lips and taking a long drink. When he lowered his glass again, he found that the Omega was looking away. He didn’t think much of it until he saw that there were tears sliding down his cheeks. He thought through what he had just said and cringed.

 

“I-I’m sorry, Omega Dan,” he tried to say, but Dan shook his head.

 

“No, no, you didn’t say anything wrong,” he said, his voice shaking just a bit. “I know I still smell like…like him.”

 

Phil set his drink down on the bedside table and crawled the short distance over to where Dan was sat at the end of his bed. He put a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes.

 

“You smell really nice,” he said, offering the Omega the best smile he could manage. He didn’t notice how indistinct his words were or how lopsidedly he was smiling.

 

The Omega let out a little laugh.

 

“Thanks,” he murmured, gazing back at Phil. Phil couldn’t figure out why his voice had gone so low and soft until it dawned on him that their faces were really close. He quickly moved away, thinking that he must be making Dan uncomfortable.

 

“Truth or dare,” Dan said then, his voice still oddly soft.

 

“Dare,” Phil said.

 

He saw Dan’s teeth pull at his lower lip for a moment.

 

“Kiss me,” Dan said.

 

Phil’s eyes jerked up from Dan’s lips to his eyes. Was he serious? He couldn’t see any hint of laughter or mocking in the Omega’s eyes. Just something like anticipation and maybe fear. He looked back down to his lips again. They were very pretty lips, but Phil had no idea whether or not he wanted to kiss them. He’d never kissed anyone before, except his parents, not even when he was a kid chasing other little kids on the playground. The idea had never seemed interesting to him before.

 

He was a little interested now, just to see what it felt like. Most people seemed to like it, at least when it was with the right person. But Phil was never going to have a “right person.” Just Dan.

 

He leaned forward, ready to crawl closer to the Omega again, when Dan’s face blanched, and he suddenly threw up his hands.

 

“Wait, wait. I changed my mind. Um…I dare you to…um, take off all your clothes and run naked through the garden.” 

 

“What?” Phil said, his voice overly loud, even to his own ears. Dan winced a little at the sound. “I can’t do that,” he muttered, sitting back down again. He sighed and reached for his glass. It was a little slower going, finishing off the entire drink this time, but he managed it. When he set the glass down and looked at Dan again, he saw a strange expression on his face, but his brain wasn’t working well enough to decipher its meaning.

 

“I think that should be the last round,” Dan said then, standing up from the bed and reaching over for Phil’s empty glass.

 

Phil made an outraged expression.

 

“You’re only saying that because it’s your turn,” he said, trying to grab his glass back from Dan’s hand.

 

“This is empty, you idiot,” Dan said, rolling his eyes. “I’ll make you another drink, if you want, but I don’t want to play anymore.”

 

Phil grumbled to himself while the Omega stood at the desk with his back to him, busily chopping and mixing. It seemed to take him a lot longer to make this drink than the other two had. Finally he turned, carrying a glass filled with beautiful orange and red tones with an orange wedge sitting at the top.

 

“Here,” Dan thrust it out to him, and Phil eagerly took it. It looked delicious.

 

He gulped down a mouthful and then grinned up at the Omega.

 

“It tastes like sunshine.”

 

Dan rolled his eyes again, but his lips had quirked up in a smile.

 

“I’m going to clean up all the drink stuff.”

 

Phil set his drink down and jumped up from the bed at once. Or rather, he tried to jump up from the bed, but found his balance had gone rather screwy, so he had to spend several seconds swaying back and forth before he could right himself.

 

“No, no, Omega Dan. I’ll clean it up.” Despite the warm, peaceful glow that had overtaken him, he suddenly felt all panicky inside. He couldn't make his master clean. That was his job.

 

“Phil, you can barely stand,” the Omega tossed over his shoulder without even bothering to turn away from where he was putting bottles back into the bucket. “And drop the title. Please.”

 

Phil wanted to argue, but he was also having to put most of his concentration into remaining upright, so really, he couldn’t deny the truth of Dan’s words. Without quite understanding how it had happened, he suddenly found that he was sitting on the bed again, leaning back against the headboard.

 

So, this was what being drunk felt like. It was kind of nice, Phil thought, except he didn’t like the feeling of not having full control over his own body.

 

He reached for his drink and took another long swig. It was really good — sweet and fruity and cold. He heard his bedroom door open and close and understood in a distant sort of way that Dan must have left. He wondered if he was going to come back. He couldn’t decide whether he wanted him to or not.

 

He didn’t know how much time had passed when he heard his door open again. He did know that he had finished his drink and that he’d had to stagger up from the bed to go relieve himself in the bathroom down the hall. He’d gotten some strange looks from the other slaves out in the hallway, but no one had bothered him.

 

He didn't know that he had lain down and begun to drift off to sleep once he’d returned. Everything was kind of warm and hazy, like a nap in the afternoon sun. It was good. He thought he might like to be drunk again in the future.

 

The room suddenly went dark, and then the bed beside him dipped, and the covers moved up and over his body. He couldn’t see Dan — his eyes were closed — but he could smell him and feel the length of his body pressed against his own. Smiling a little to himself in the dark, he flung an arm out over the Omega’s side and pulled him close, like he used to do with the teddy bear he’d had as a child. Dan’s hair was softer even than his teddy’s fur had been. He pushed his nose into it and rubbed it against his face. This was nice. He liked holding someone like this.

 

He thought he heard the Omega sigh, and then he spoke.

 

“Are you awake?”

 

His voice sounded funny, like he had a sore throat or something.

 

“Yeah,” Phil mumbled into Dan’s hair.

 

“You should have some water. I put a glass on your nightstand. Sit up and drink it.”

 

With a reluctant frown, Phil let go of the Omega and sat up, his head spinning with the motion. It took a moment for him to feel steady enough to turn and reach for the glass, which he could see glinting faintly in the moonlight from the window.

 

Dan wouldn’t let him lie down again until he’d finished all of the water. Once the glass was empty, he realized that he had to pee again, so with a long-suffering sigh, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and staggered out to the bathroom again.

 

When he returned, he fell back into bed, pulled Dan tight against him, and slipped almost at once into unconsciousness.


	3. Day 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alpha!Phil and Omega!Dan's day out goes awry, with unexpected consequences. (TW: alcohol)

Dan was still there when he woke this time. Phil didn’t notice this at first, though. He was too distracted by the gritty sensation in his eyes and the ache in his temples. He lay there moaning softly to himself until he felt a cool hand against his forehead.

 

“Headache?” came Dan’s voice, and he managed to open his eyes just enough to make out the Omega’s blurry form bent over him.

 

“Nnngh,” Phil said.

 

“If you can sit up, I’ve got some water for you and a couple of painkillers. Breakfast should be here soon, too, if you feel up to eating.”

 

Phil got his eyes the rest of the way open then, but he immediately closed them again. The curtains over his window were open a bit, and the bright morning sunshine pouring through made his eyes throb.

 

“Here, I’ll help you,” Dan’s voice said, and then Phil felt a hand sliding under his shoulders and raising him up. Between the two of them, they got him upright and leaning against the headboard, and then he felt Dan’s arm disappear again.

 

“Drink this.”

 

Phil slitted his eyes open just enough to see the glass of water Dan was holding out to him. He took it and sipped it tentatively at first. Then, suddenly realizing just how thirsty he was, he finished the rest of it off in three big gulps.

 

The glass was taken from his hand then, and he heard pouring sounds, and then he felt the cool side of the glass pressed into his hand again.

 

“Take these too,” he heard Dan say, and looked down to see a couple of capsules lying on Dan’s open palm. He picked them up with fingers that felt barely strong enough for the task and swallowed them down with another gulp from the glass. Blinking his eyes open, he noticed that he was feeling much better already.

 

“Is this a hangover?” he asked, gazing up at Dan’s face, which was shadowed by the light from the window behind him. 

 

“Yep,” Dan said, dropping down onto the foot of the bed. “I should have made you drink more water last night. Are you feeling sick to your stomach at all?”

 

Phil pursed his lips and thought about it.

 

“No, just headachey.”

 

“Good,” Dan said, his lips rising in a slight smile that vanished again quickly.

 

There was a knock at the door then, and Dan jumped up to answer it. Phil noticed then that he was wearing different clothes. He must have gone to his own room to change and then come back.

 

“Oh, Laura, thank you,” he heard Dan saying and looked over to see him holding the door open for a middle-aged Beta house slave that Phil thought he remembered seeing working in the kitchens. She carried a wide tray that held two plates of food and two glasses of orange juice.

 

“Of course, Young Master,” the slave replied, her cheeks folding up in a smile. “Where shall I set this?”

 

“Just here on the desk is fine,” Dan told her, hurrying over to help her with the heavy tray as she settled it on Phil’s desk.

 

“Can I bring you anything else?” she asked when she’d set the tray down. She was quite a bit shorter than Dan, and she had to tilt her head back to look up at him. Phil hadn’t considered before how tall the Omega actually was, but he was nearly tall enough to look Phil in the eye. Phil himself was taller than average, so Dan must be very tall for an Omega.

 

“I think Phil might like some coffee in a bit, if you wouldn’t mind.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” the slave replied with a curtsey and a beaming smile. Then she hurried away, shutting the door softly behind her.

 

Phil started to push the covers down, but Dan rushed over and stopped him.

 

“No, no. Stay there. I’ll bring the tray to you.”

 

“Really, Omega Dan—“

 

“Dan.”

 

“Um, Dan, really, I can get up.”

 

“I know you can, but you probably won’t feel quite yourself again until you eat, so—“ Dan turned away then and walked back to the desk. A moment later he was carrying the tray over and settling it on Phil’s lap. It was a big breakfast with sausages and tomatoes and eggs and beans and mushrooms. Phil’s eyes went wide, and his stomach gave a loud grumble. He’d just realized he was starving.

 

Dan brought his own breakfast over and ate sitting on the floor beside the bed while Phil scarfed his food down, manners gone quite out the window in the face of the ravenous pit his stomach had become.

 

They were just finishing up when Beta Laura appeared again with their coffee, served in a beautiful silver service, and then whisked out of the room again.

 

“Feeling better yet?” Dan asked as he brought Phil’s coffee over to him and took his empty tray away to the desk.

 

“Yeah,” Phil said, stretching his arms over his head. “I feel great actually. Thank you.”

 

“How did you enjoy drunkenness?” Dan asked as he began loading the tray with their dirty dishes.

 

Phil considered it. He remembered last night being fun, if nerve-wracking. He’d managed not to ask Dan anything too personal…hadn’t he? And he had avoided doing anything too embarrassing himself, thanks to the handy expedient of downing his drink instead of following Dan’s mortifying suggestions. He frowned. Dan had ended the game rather abruptly…but maybe he’d just been tired? He seemed to like to go to bed early…

 

“It was nice,” Phil said finally. “Didn’t much enjoy the hangover, though.”

 

“That wasn’t even much of a hangover,” Dan said, raising his eyebrows as he made his way back over to the bed. He settled himself at the foot again and then gazed at Phil with an expectant smile. “So what do you want to do today?”

 

Phil stared down at his hands.

 

“Um, well, first I’d like to take a shower and brush my teeth and change clothes,” he mumbled.

 

“Oh, right,” Dan said, hopping up from the bed again. “Why don’t you come upstairs and use my bathroom. It’s much nicer than the one here.”

 

Phil glanced up at the Omega and then back down at his folded hands.

 

“Oh, no, that’s okay. I, um, I’m fine using the one here.”

 

“But that way you can take your time, and no one else will be waiting for you to get out,” Dan wheedled. Phil glanced up again to see that his soft brown eyes had gone wide and pleading. “I have really soft towels too,” he said.

 

Phil wanted to say no, but…he didn’t really have a choice.

 

“Okay,” he finally agreed.

 

“Great! I’ll pick something for you to wear,” Dan said, grinning and turning to Phil’s wardrobe.

 

Phil groaned inwardly. So he really was just a life-sized doll to Dan. He’d fed him, and now he was going to wash him and play dress-up with him. 

 

“You have, like, four outfits here,” came Dan’s muffled voice from inside the wardrobe. “I guess I need to take you clothes shopping as well.”

 

Phil could only shrug. Four outfits was about as much as he’d ever owned. He didn’t really see the need to own much more, but he was going to be born forward by the tide of Dan’s enthusiasm whether he resisted it or not.

 

A few minutes later, Phil was creeping up the stairs, embarrassed to be showing himself outside the slave quarters in only his pajamas, while Dan carried his change of clothes draped over one arm and listed off potential activities for the day.

 

“How about we go see a movie? Like, in a theater and everything? Have you ever been to a movie theater before?” Dan was saying as he ushered Phil through the door into his quarters.

 

“Yes, a few times,” Phil said, relieved that they’d made it all the way here without anyone seeing him. It struck him then that he’d never seen any of Dan’s family here in this wing. Didn’t they ever come visit him?

 

“Do you want to go today?” Dan asked, beckoning him through the door into his bedroom.

 

“Sure,” Phil said, casting a swift glance around the dark room. It was really kind of creepy, how still and black everything here was. He could almost imagine death itself lurking in one of the corners, black robe, scythe and all.

 

“Awesome,” Dan said. He pointed toward a door on the far side of the room. “That’s the bathroom. I’ll look up movie times. Here,” and he handed Phil his clothes.

 

“Thank you,” Phil said and hurried over to the bathroom. Unsurprisingly, everything here was decorated in black as well, with black marble tiling the floor and the lower part of the walls. Even the bathtub was a wide basin of the dark stone. Big, fluffy black towels hung on the towel rack, and a plush, black rug lay on the floor next to the tub. Really, wasn’t this overkill? Who would even design such a room?

 

The thought occurred to him then that maybe Dan himself had picked all of this out. A shiver passed through him, and he hurried to turn on the tap so the water could start warming up.

 

It was the most luxurious shower Phil had ever taken. He had to admit it was much nicer than the shower downstairs. Not that he really _needed_ to take nice showers. He didn’t really need any nice things — books, clothes, a laptop, delicious fruity alcoholic beverages — but it seemed that Dan was going to keep insisting on giving them to him anyway.

 

It made him anxious, and just a little bit angry. Maybe four outfits was too few for Omega Chesterworth, but it was fine for Phil. Who was Dan to decide that what Phil had wasn’t good enough?

 

Phil sighed. He was Phil’s owner, that was who.

 

Phil turned off the shower and climbed out, wiping down with one of the ridiculously plush towels and slowly getting dressed in the outfit Dan had decided he should wear that day. It was a black shirt with the Howell family insignia embroidered in gold over the left breast pocket — a subtle signal of his status as their property — and black jeans. Dan had dressed him to match his rooms.

 

“Enjoy your shower?” Dan asked when he stepped out of the steamy bathroom at last. The Omega was sat at his desktop computer, browsing through some social media website that Phil wasn’t really familiar with.

 

“Yes,” Phil said and walked over to stand beside his desk chair.

 

“How do you feel about going to see the new Marvel film?”

 

“That sounds good,” Phil said, trying to sound enthusiastic. He couldn’t exactly tell Dan that he’d never seen any of the previous ones and had no clue who any of the characters were.

 

“Great! We’ll go to the morning show and then grab some lunch and then take you shopping for new clothes.”

 

Phil wondered whether an Omega in deepest mourning was allowed to go out to the movies. Dan seemed happy with his plans, though, so Phil just nodded.

 

They went to the 10:51 AM showing of the movie, and it was actually pretty good, even if Phil felt confused about who was who for most of it. Afterward, Dan took him for fish and chips, and that was all right too, even when the Omega ordered a beer and had him try it. He almost spit it out, it was so awful.

 

“It’s like I’m drinking water someone just used to mop a floor,” he spluttered, gulping down water to clear away the disgusting taste.

 

Dan was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes.

 

“You did that on purpose,” Phil complained, wrinkling his nose at the frothy, yellowish liquid in the glass in front of him.

 

“No, no,” Dan objected, wiping his eyes. “I really thought you might like it. I mean, I can’t stand the stuff, but lots of people think it’s great.”

 

Phil narrowed his eyes, unconvinced.

 

“Buy you dessert to make up for it?” Dan suggested.

 

“Fine,” Phil sighed and ended up leaving the shop with a cone of soft-serve. He felt five again, walking down the street and licking ice cream on a sunny summer afternoon, but that was okay. He had fond memories of being a five-year-old.

 

The clothes shopping didn’t go quite as smoothly. It started out fine enough, with Dan taking him to a department store in a big shopping center and urging him to try on anything that caught his eye. Phil was even having fun for a bit, until he made the mistake of looking at the price tag on one of the shirts he had just tried.

 

He stalked out of the fitting room carrying every single item of clothing he’d picked up and resolutely began returning them to their respective racks.

 

“Wait, wait, Phil,” Dan called, hurrying after him. “Wait, stop. I thought you liked that one.”

 

Phil glanced down at the collared shirt he was carefully hanging beside its brethren. It was dark blue with a pattern of little, white fishes. He had actually loved it.

 

“It’s too expensive,” he said, turning to carry the next shirt back to where he’d found it.

 

“Phil, I can afford it. It’s fine,” Dan murmured, reaching out and stopping him with a hand on his elbow. “Really, you can get anything you want.”

 

He paused, took a deep breath.

 

“I can’t let you spend so much money on me,” Phil said. “Especially since you haven’t even decided whether or not you want to keep me.”

 

Dan’s hand disappeared from his elbow. For a moment, there was silence from behind Phil.

 

“Is that what this is about? You won’t let me buy you anything else until I agree not to send you back?” There was an edge to Dan’s voice, and Phil’s heart suddenly started beating wildly in his chest.

 

“No, Sir,” Phil said, turning but keeping his eyes lowered. “I would never do something like that. I just don’t feel it’s right to let you spend money on me like this.”

 

He saw Dan cross his arms, though he didn’t dare look up to meet his eye.

 

“You aren’t _letting_ me do anything,” he heard Dan huff. “I brought you to buy clothes because I _wanted_ to. It’s my money, and I’ll spend it however I like.”

 

Phil bit his lip. It was dangerous to anger his master like this. He knew he could be punished. Or worse, Dan might decide to send him back after all. And yet…

 

“I would prefer that you didn’t spend it on me,” he said. “At least, not this much.”

 

Dan made an annoyed sound.

 

“You think the cost of a couple of shirts makes any difference to me? You’re worth more than every item of clothing in this entire store combined, Phil.”

 

Phil felt like someone had just sucked all of the air out of his chest. He tried to take a breath, but even his lungs felt paralyzed.

 

When he finally found his voice again, it came out shaky.

 

“And how much, exactly, am I worth, Omega Dan?” he asked, eyes fixed on the half-undone zip of Dan’s black hoodie. “How much did your family spend on me? Maybe money doesn’t mean anything to you, but it does to me. I don’t—“ He stopped. As angry as he was, he still couldn’t manage to say it: _I don’t want to owe you any more than I already do._

 

That was when Phil realized for the first time that he planned to be a free Alpha again one day. It was something he’d never even dared dream about before — saving up enough to someday buy his own freedom. He knew the amount Dan’s family had paid for him must be some impossible sum, an amount he shouldn’t even bother trying to aim for.

 

Nevertheless… Nevertheless, there was something inside him that told him he must find a way, not just for himself, but for his parents and all they’d ever dreamed of for him. Those dreams had died on the day their owners had sold him.

 

“Phil…” Dan’s voice cut across his turbulent thoughts.

 

“My sincerest apologies, Omega Dan,” he said, ducking his head in a bow. “I spoke out of turn.”

 

“No, no, it’s… There’s no need to apologize,” he heard Dan murmur. Then he felt a hand brush lightly over his shoulder. “I shouldn’t have said all of that. It…it’s gross to brag about money. And, anyway, I’m only doing this because I wanted something fun for us to do together. It doesn’t have to be shopping. It can be anything. Um, what do you want to do?”

 

Phil finally dared to glance up at the Omega’s face. His eyes looked wide, scared almost. His cheeks had reddish blotches on them. Phil wondered if he was about to cry.

 

“Um, if it’s okay with you, Omega Dan, can we just go home?”

 

Both of Dan’s lips disappeared between his teeth, and Phil felt even more sure that the Omega was holding back tears. He felt horrible all of a sudden. He was supposed to serve Dan and comfort him through this difficult time in his life, yet here he was, making him cry and guilting him into giving up his fun plans for the afternoon.

 

“Okay,” Dan said, nodding.

 

“I mean, we don’t have to, if—“ Phil rushed to say, regretting everything he’d said and done for the past half hour. Why couldn't he have just kept his mouth shut and let the Omega enjoy himself?

 

“No, I’m tired, too,” Dan cut in, reaching up and running a hand through his fringe. “I always get tired easily right before…” He paused, glanced away. “Yeah, let’s just go home. I think I need a nap anyway.”

 

They didn’t talk all the way back to the Howell residence. Instead, they each sat silently on their own sides of the leather-upholstered back seat, Dan staring out the window and Phil staring at his hands.

 

Once they had walked through the front door, Dan bid him a hurried good-bye and disappeared almost at once up the stairs toward his bedroom. Phil watched him go, feeling all at sea. He’d really fucked things up now. Given time to think it over, Dan would realize that it simply wasn’t worth putting up with a prickly Alpha like Phil. He’d send him back to the slave house and look for someone more pliant. And Phil…Phil would be sold to someone else, someone who was likely to demand he submit to far more than a few shopping trips.

 

Back in his own quarters, Phil shut the door, flung himself down on the bed, and cried silently until he fell into a deep sleep.

 

 

When he woke, night had fallen, and his room felt very empty.

 

He didn’t know why he had expected Dan to be there.

 

He sat up, a ripple of hunger working its uncomfortable way through his stomach. He’d slept through dinner, and no one had come for him. They’d probably assumed he was somewhere with the “Young Master” again.

 

In the slave house, if he’d missed a meal, he would have just been out of luck. The slaves were expected to eat when the dining hall was open or not at all. Of course, if you missed too many meals, you got in trouble because it could decrease your value. No one wanted to buy an undernourished slave.

 

In the house he’d grown up in, though, Ron or Annie or one of the other house slaves would have tracked him down and berated him for his carelessness all while serving him a heaping plate of leftovers. They’d all doted on him from birth, treating him as if he were their own son or grandson or little brother. A baby in the slave quarters was a rare blessing.

 

He wondered if any of the house slaves here would be so accommodating. He doubted it. He was still very much an outsider here, and an Alpha at that, double the reason to mistrust him.

 

A wave of homesickness washed over him along with a fresh hunger pang. He missed his dad and his mum so terribly, and Annie and Ron and Jacob and all of the other slaves who had helped raise him. He even missed seeing their owners, much as he hated them. At least they were familiar faces, people who had known him since birth, who had watched him grow up.

 

He wished he could go home so badly — to his _real_ home.

 

There was a soft knock at his door then. He hoped it was someone bringing him food. He brushed the tears from his cheeks and got up to answer it.

 

It was Dan, his face withdrawn and covered with red blotches. Phil guessed he’d taken the chance to let out the tears he’d been holding in earlier.

 

“Y-you don’t have to invite me in, if you don’t want to,” Dan said at once.

 

Phil thought about slamming the door in his face for a moment. Instead, he held it open, and Dan stepped inside, just far enough to let Phil close the door behind him. Phil noticed then that the room was still dark, so he reached over and flipped on the light.

 

Dan blinked up at him in the sudden bright light.

 

“I want you to stay,” he said.

 

Phil took an involuntary step back.

 

“You aren’t sending me back?” he asked, his voice sounding creaky from sleep and tears.

 

“No,” Dan shook his head. “Not unless you want me to.”

 

“No,” Phil said at once, shaking his head too. 

 

Dan nodded, staring down at the floor with his lower lip caught between his teeth.

 

“I would like you to do something for me, though,” he said then, his voice very low. “I need you to go to the pharmacy and pick up a few things for me.”

 

“Okay,” Phil said. At least Dan always phrased things as requests rather than commands.

 

“Here,” Dan said, reaching into his pocket and pulling something out. It was a wallet. “Your new ID is in there, and a card with some money on it. It’s for the bank account I had set up for you. And there’s a list of the things I need you to get for me.”

 

Phil took the wallet, a simple, brown leather one, and flipped it open. On the right hand side, behind a clear plastic covering, was an ID with his picture on it. There was a bright pink “S” stamped over his face, signaling clearly to anyone who looked at it that he was a slave. The text noted his name and that he was the body slave of Omega Daniel Chesterworth, along with Dan’s contact details.

 

Tucked into the slots on the other side were a bank card and a folded slip of white note paper. Phil could feel that there were a few bank notes tucked into the back pocket of the wallet too.

 

“There’s a pharmacy just a block over,” Dan was saying. “I need you to go there and get me the things on the list and also a prescription. Just tell them my name at the prescription counter and show them your ID. If anyone from the house asks you where you’re going, just say I’m sending you out to buy me a few things because I have a headache and don’t feel like going myself.”

 

Phil peered more closely at the Omega’s wan face.

 

“Do you have a headache?”

 

Dan’s lips twitched up in a quick smile.

 

“A very slight one,” he muttered and then shrugged. “Hormones.”

 

Phil nodded.

 

“Do you want me to get you water or medicine or anything?”

 

“No, I already took something,” the Omega replied, walking over and perching on the very edge of Phil’s bed. “I’ll wait here until you get back.”

 

Phil nodded again, mystified.

 

It felt odd stepping out of the house alone. He hadn’t been allowed to go anywhere on his own for more than two years now. He was almost nervous, as though he didn’t quite trust himself without supervision. He shook his head, reminding himself that he used to go out on his own all the time, before.

 

The pharmacy was easy to find. It only took about three minutes of walking for him to reach the brightly-lit shop front. Once inside, he joined the line at the counter and waited his turn to speak to someone.

 

“I’m picking up a prescription for Omega Daniel Chesterworth,” he said when the Alpha behind the counter had beckoned him forward, “and also these items.” He handed her his list and held open the wallet to show her his ID.

 

“Chesterworth,” she repeated, taking the wallet from his hands to check his ID. “All right, just a moment.” Then she whisked away among the shelves behind the counter, Dan’s list in her hand. While Phil waited, he glanced around at the other people in the small room. There was also a Beta behind the counter who was helping an elderly Omega pick up a long list of prescriptions. Behind him in line, there stood a middle-aged Alpha and a middle-aged Beta. The Beta wore a family insignia over their breast pocket, just like him, indicating they were also a slave. He wondered whether they belonged to the Alpha or if they were just out on an errand like him.

 

“Here you are, love,” the Alpha behind the counter said then, pulling his attention back her way. “That comes to…£18.50. Will that be cash or card?”

 

“Card,” Phil said, pulling the bank card from his wallet and pushing it into the little machine on the counter. He wondered how much money Dan had put in the account. He’d never had money of his own before. It was weird knowing that, with the wallet Dan had given him, he could go into any shop he wanted and just buy something.

 

“All right,” the Alpha behind the counter said as the card machine beeped to let him know to remove his card. “Here’s your receipt, and your bag. Thank you. Next!”

 

“Thank you,” Phil said back and took the carrier bag containing Dan’s purchases.

 

He’d managed to suppress his curiosity enough not to look at the list, but once he was outside the shop again, he couldn’t resist peeking inside the bag. There was a folded paper bag with writing on the front that he guessed must be the prescription. There was also a bottle of some clear liquid, a small box, and another box that was clearly some kind of over-the-counter medication. After a moment of staring, it clicked that the bottle and the first box were lube and condoms. Oh.

 

He closed the bag again and hurried back home.

 

He found Dan sat exactly where he’d left him, perched gingerly on the edge of his bed. He was staring at the floor, his hands clasped together with his thumbs worrying over one another again and again.

 

“You’re back,” he said, his expression brightening as soon as Phil walked in.

 

“Yes, here you are,” Phil said, holding the bag out to him.

 

“Thank you. You’re a life-saver,” Dan said with feeling, grabbing the bag and reaching inside at once. He pulled out the prescription, ripping into the paper bag without bothering to look at the labeling. Inside was a blister pack of pills, and he popped out the first one at once. He reached for a glass of water that was sitting on Phil’s night stand. He must have had one of the house slaves bring it while Phil was out. Some of the water spilled onto his shirt when he swallowed the pill. As he wiped at it, Phil noticed that his hands were shaking. He rushed over to take the glass from the Omega’s unsteady hands.

 

“Are you all right, Omega Dan?”

 

Dan sighed, and his eyelids squeezed shut. He shook his head a little.

 

“Not exactly, but I’ll be okay.”

 

He opened his eyes after a moment, and handed Phil the pack of pills. The pills rattled inside their plastic cover from how much his hands were shaking. Phil slid the pack back into its paper bag and set it on the night stand too.

 

“You can’t tell anyone about this,” Dan rasped out then. “Not my family, not any of the other slaves.”

 

Phil nodded. That wouldn’t be difficult. He hardly talked to anyone but Dan anyway.

 

“I guess you’re wanting some explanation,” Dan said.

 

Phil shook his head. The Omega didn’t owe him any explanation, no matter how crazy his curiosity had become.

 

“You have a right to know,” Dan continued, biting both lips again. “I went to the doctor this afternoon and got a prescription for heat suppressants.”

 

Phil could only shake his head again.

 

“You…think I shouldn’t have?” Dan asked, hands worrying at each other again.

 

“No, I…I don’t understand, Omega Dan,” he said. “Why…if you’re going to keep me…?” He felt his forehead wrinkling up. “Why didn’t you just do that in the first place? Instead of going to all the trouble of buying me?”

 

The Omega closed his eyes then and reached his fingers up to rub vigorously over his eyelids.

 

“Oh. Right. It’s what my Alpha Father wanted,” he groaned from between his palms. “He didn’t want me to go on suppressants because he wants me to get married again, as soon as possible.” He dropped his hands to look up at Phil where he stood stock still beside the bed. “You see, Alphas don’t want to marry an Omega who might not be able to give them children,” he explained with a mirthless smile. “The best way to prove an Omega is fertile is to show they have regular heats.” He gave a shaky little laugh. “That’s where you come in.”

 

“Oh,” Phil said, still feeling rather lost. “But…won’t your Alpha Father just send me back once he finds out you aren't having your heats?”

 

Dan’s eyes grew wide.

 

“He can’t find out,” he said. “That’s why you can’t tell anyone about this. And you have to help me…” The Omega closed his eyes and screwed up his face. The next words tumbled out his mouth all in a rush, “You have to help me fake my heat.”

 

Phil didn’t know what to say. In fact, he didn’t say anything. He kept staring at the Omega as though he’d gone stark raving mad. What in the world had led him to come up with such a convoluted plan?

 

“I know it sounds ridiculous,” Dan muttered, opening one eye and peeking up at the Alpha’s expression. He winced when he saw it. “Please, it’s the best way.”

 

“But…” Phil began slowly, “if you’re going to keep me…and not send me back…then why take heat suppressants at all. I mean…if that’s what I’m here for—“

 

His words petered out as the Omega opened both eyes and cast them up at him in an incredulous expression.

 

“Phil, you…you haven’t even kissed anyone before, have you?”

 

Phil shook his head, frowning. What did that have to do with anything?

 

“I can’t do that to you,” Dan said, as though this should have been obvious to Phil. “And you clearly aren’t attracted to me, like, in _that_ way. It just wouldn’t be right.”

 

Phil opened his mouth. Then he closed it again. _Okay._

 

“Please, just help me with this for one year,” Dan was pleading again. “Help me fake my heats for a year, until my…” He paused, took a deep shuddering breath, “until my b-bonding mark disappears and my dad can find me a new Alpha. Just one year, and then I’ll have him set you free.”


	4. Day 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alpha!Phil helps Omega!Dan put his plan into practice.

Phil woke alone again the next day. For a little while he couldn’t remember quite why that felt odd. Then the previous evening came rushing back to him.

 

His first thought was, _I’m going to be free!_ , and a grin broke over his face.

 

Then the grin disappeared as he remembered what he would have to do to gain his freedom. It wasn’t that he minded helping Dan deceive his Alpha Father. On the contrary, he was infinitely relieved to know that he was no long expected to knot the Omega or help him through his heats. It wasn’t exactly as Dan had said the night before. He didn’t find him _un_ attractive. It was just… He was a perfect stranger, and Phil had never even been sexually attracted to anyone before, or even just _attracted_ to them in general. He didn’t think he was attracted to Dan, at least, not yet, but then again, how would he even know if he was? What did attraction even feel like?

 

But he was getting distracted. There was no need to worry about what his feelings toward the Omega might or might not be anymore. Their entire relationship would be a mere illusion, and that was what made Phil very worried. Because what if they were found out?

 

Dan had explained to him last night that it was actually his Alpha Father who owned Phil, as he had purchased him and signed the papers. Dan seemed confident that he could convince his dad to free Phil, once he had served his purpose and Dan was safely re-married, but Phil wasn’t so sure. If the older Alpha discovered how he had been deceived, would he try to send Phil back to the slave house? Or perhaps re-sell him to a different buyer, to get back the money he’d wasted on him?

 

Phil’s heart clenched in his chest, and his stomach twisted. Wouldn’t it be safer if he just had sex with Dan like they’d originally planned?

 

He shoved his blankets aside, grabbed a change of clothes, and walked down to the bathroom for his shower.

 

He tried not to think about it too much as he scrubbed at his hair, but of course he ended up thinking about it the entire time. Last night, once Phil had agreed to the Omega’s dubious plan, Dan had pointed over to Phil’s desk, and Phil had seen a tray with a cloth draped over it.

 

“When I called for water, they told me you hadn’t been at dinner,” the Omega had explained.

 

“Thank you,” Phil had said, restraining himself from dashing over and immediately digging in. “I took a nap and accidentally slept through it.”

 

Dan had nodded, rising from the edge of Phil’s bed and stepping away.

 

“I need to go back to my own room now, but they said you can just leave the tray in the kitchen when you’re finished,” he said, picking up the carrier bag from where he had dropped it on the floor. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

“Good night,” Phil had said.

 

The Omega had stood there staring at him for a long second, and Phil had wondered if he was going to change his mind and stay.

 

He hadn’t.

 

It had taken Phil far too long to fall asleep afterward. He’d eaten quickly and then taken the tray to the kitchen and washed up since no one was around to tell him it wasn’t his job to. He’d felt emotionally wrung out and had expected to sleep again easily, but apparently the nap had ruined that plan. And for some reason his bed felt too empty without anyone else in it. How had he already gotten used to having Dan squeezed in beside him?

 

He wondered, as he dried off and pulled on his outfit for the day, whether he missed having Dan in bed beside him because he did find him attractive after all. Except, when Dan was there, he didn’t think about taking off his clothes or kissing him or having sex with him. He just liked the feeling of another warm body there, someone who smelled nice and didn’t mind if Phil put his arms around them. From everything he’d ever heard, that didn’t sound like how an Alpha normally felt about his Omega.

 

Then again, Dan _wasn’t_ his Omega. The way Dan smelled — bonded, claimed by someone else — wasn’t it only natural that Phil wouldn’t think about him that way? He frowned to himself as he pushed open the door to his bedroom once more. Once the smell of Dan’s Alpha wore off, would Phil start feeling differently about him?

 

He decided it was best to cross that bridge when they came to it.

 

He was sat at his desk in his room twenty-three pages into one of the books Dan had bought for him when Beta Tony knocked on his door.

 

“You’re needed upstairs,” the elderly Beta told him, lips folded primly, once he’d opened the door.

 

Phil nodded, setting his book on the bed. So far, it was all according to Dan’s plan. He followed Beta Tony out the door and up the stairs. He’d learned that Beta Tony was the house slave assigned to care for Dan. He oversaw his meals, the cleaning of his rooms and his clothes, almost anything Dan might need when he was at home. Apparently, this included Phil.

 

When they reached the door of Dan’s rooms, Phil tried to step back and allow the Beta to usher him in, but instead Beta Tony stepped aside and indicated that Phil should enter alone.

 

“No one will disturb you,” the Beta murmured. “Just ring for me if you need anything.”

 

“We will,” Phil said.

 

The Beta’s head jerked up a little in surprise, but Phil couldn’t figure out why. Then his expression smoothed into a neutral smile, and he nodded.

 

“Go on, then,” he said, nodding toward the door.

 

Phil reached for the handle and walked into the sitting room. He paused to sniff the air for a moment and then let out a sigh of relief. He’d been on edge worried that the suppressants hadn’t worked and Dan had really gone into heat. The Omega had told him the night before that the doctor had assured him they’d started the suppressants in time to stop his heat from coming, but…doctors could be wrong. While Dan had explained his heat wasn’t technically due for a few more days, he said the doctor had told him the suppressants might bring on some heat-like symptoms, so he’d decided to take advantage of that to make his fake heat more realistic. 

 

Phil shut the door behind him and walked toward the bedroom door, which stood slightly ajar. When he stepped through, he found Dan huddled up in bed with the black duvet pulled all the way to his chin. His hair was plastered to his forehead with the moisture that drenched his face.

 

“Oh, it’s you. Thank god,” Dan said, sitting up then and pushing down the covers. Phil was slightly alarmed to see that the Omega appeared to be naked to his waist. He couldn’t help staring at the smooth, rosy skin of his bare chest, punctuated by two, tiny nipples that were the same color as his lips. He could just make out the fine, dark hairs that trailed down from his belly button.

 

Phil swallowed hard.

 

“What’s wrong? Do I have something on my—?” Dan began, glancing down at himself. “Oh, I forgot I hadn’t shaved in a while…”

 

Phil shook his head and forced his eyes away, looking over toward the tall wardrobe that stood against the wall opposite the door.

 

“Beta Tony said that no one would bother us until we called for them,” he muttered.

 

“Great. My face is way too moist,” he heard Dan say. There were rustling sounds, like maybe he was getting out of bed, but Phil didn’t let himself look. It wasn’t like he’d never seen other people’s naked chests before. He’d been to public school and had to change in the locker rooms, though of course that had only been other Alphas. But there was something about the fact that he was alone with a half-naked Omega in his bedroom that made Phil’s entire face turn hot and red.

 

“Phil, I’m wearing boxers,” he heard the Omega saying from over in the direction of the bed. “You don’t have to avert your eyes.”

 

The Alpha’s tongue came out and swiped over his lips.

 

“If you don’t mind,” he said, “I’ll, um, wait until you get dressed.”

 

There was silence for a moment.

 

“I can put a shirt on for now, I guess,” he heard Dan say slowly, “but if anyone comes in, I’ll have to take it off again. Um, you would probably need to take your shirt off too, for the sake of appearances, and maybe your trousers?”

 

It made logical sense. Of course it did. This was exactly what Dan had told him he had planned last night. At the time, Phil hadn’t thought anything of it.

 

“But don’t worry about it for now. Here—“ More rustling sounds, “Okay, I’ve got a shirt on now. Come watch anime with me.”

 

He glanced up to see that the Omega was back under the covers and wearing a grey t-shirt. For some reason, he felt only minimally better. That was weird. He and Dan had already shared a bed, and one with much less space than this one. Why should he be embarrassed to join him there now?

 

Maybe it was just because right now everyone in the household thought they were shut up in here together having vigorous, hormone-driven sex.

 

“Or YouTube videos or…I mean, whatever you want,” Dan was saying. His voice sounded small and uncertain.

 

“Yeah, s-sure,” Phil said, forcing his legs to carry him over to the opposite side of the bed. Dan had reclaimed his laptop, and he pulled it over onto his lap as Phil climbed up onto the tall four-poster. “What anime?”

 

“Have you seen—? Wait, I guess you haven’t seen anything. It’s called ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and it’s one of the greatest pieces of art ever created,” Dan said. He glanced over at Phil from the corner of his eye. “Um, can you even see the screen from all the way over there?”

 

He actually couldn’t. It was a really wide bed.

 

He scooted closer…just close enough that he could see the screen of the laptop on Dan’s lap without having to strain his neck too much. There was still a safe 15 centimeters or so of space between him and Dan’s arm, so he leaned back against the pillows and tried to relax.

 

“So is this one of your favorites?” he asked as Dan pulled up the first episode.

 

“Mm,” Dan hummed as he clicked the play button. “Probably? I wasn’t kidding about it being one of the greatest.”

 

“Cool.”

 

It turned out to be some kind of space western, and Phil was drawn in almost immediately. The music was fun, the animation was beautiful, and the fight scenes were really cool. As the final credits of the first episode began to play, he turned to Dan to tell him he might be right about how good it was. That’s when he saw that there were tears streaming down the Omega’s face.

 

“Dan?”

 

Dan quickly reached up to wipe at his wet cheeks and turned a smile on Phil.

 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Wanna watch the next one?”

 

For a moment, Phil was on the verge of reaching out to place a comforting hand on the Omega’s arm, but then Dan said,

 

“The next episode is really cute. It has dogs.” His voice was kind of shaky, but he was still smiling, so Phil nodded, and Dan hit the button to skip to the next episode.

 

They’d only made it through the opening credits, though, when he heard a small sound that made him turn to look at Dan again. He had a hand pressed over his mouthand his eyes squeezed shut, and there were tears leaking from the corners of his eyes again.

 

Phil reached over and hit the pause button. He stared at the Omega, who was hunching forward and making muffled sobbing noises. His heart began pounding in his chest. What should he do? Comfort him?

 

He stretched out a hand and rested it on Dan’s shoulder. Without warning, the Omega turned and buried his face against Phil’s chest, letting out a loud, choked cry.

 

With the Omega’s body pressed against him, he could feel every sigh and shudder that passed through his body. A slight panic welled up inside him. Tentatively, he raised his arm and put it around the Omega’s shoulder. Dan pressed himself closer at once.

 

Not knowing what else to do, Phil reached over with his free hand, closed the laptop and moved it to the empty side of the bed.

 

For several minutes, he sat like that, body frozen, with one arm awkwardly draped across Dan’s shoulders, while the Omega sobbed into the front of his shirt. Should he do something else? Ask what was wrong, maybe? Or…like…pat his back? He was afraid of doing anything, though, in case it made things worse, so instead he just sat as still as he could and hoped the situation would improve on its own.

 

Finally, Dan’s body stopped shaking as much, and Phil heard him give a few big sniffs.

 

“I-I’m sorry,” came his raspy voice. “It’s the heat. I mean,” he added, pushing himself up a bit. Phil dropped his arm at once. “I mean, I guess it’s technically the suppressants, but this is what it feels like when I’m about to go into heat. I get all…” He waved a hand toward his red, puffy face and sat up even more, reaching up to swipe at his eyes. There were still tears rolling down his cheeks.

 

“Can I get something for you? A drink of water or…some tissues?” Phil was edging away again. He didn’t know quite why, but being this close to the Omega right now was making him feel nervous.

 

“Oh, yeah,” Dan said, turning his head away as he rubbed at his cheeks. “If you could get me the…the tissues…” He pointed across the room to where Phil could see a box of tissues on top of his desk.

 

Phil hopped off the bed at once and hurried over to grab the box. When he brought it back, though, he found the Omega collapsed on the covers with his face buried in his arms and sobs shaking his back. Panic began to rise within him again, and a strong urge to run far, far away. That’s when he caught a whiff of the Omega’s scent, and suddenly something clicked in his brain. 

 

He smelled like heat.

 

Not strongly, not enough to make Phil’s Alpha instincts kick in — at least not the ones that would make him want to have sex with Dan. He’d grown up in a household with two adult Omegas. He knew very well what heat smelled like. And that nervousness Phil felt, that was his instincts warning him that this Omega had been marked by a different Alpha, that his heat wasn’t any of Phil’s business, and that if he knew what was good for him, he would get as far away as he could as fast as he could.

 

Phil drew in a deep breath, set the box of tissues down on the bedside table, and sat down on the edge of the bed. 

 

“I’m so sorry,” came the Omega’s muffled wail.

 

“Shh, shh,” Phil said, reaching out and rubbing a soothing hand over the Omega’s back. Now that he knew the source of his uneasiness, it was simple to just push it aside and do what he would for anyone in distress. “It’s okay.”

 

The Omega’s body stilled under his hand, his loud sobs quieting to gentle sniffles. Phil continued to rub his hand over the smooth fabric of his t-shirt, making shushing noises.

 

“Phil,” came the Omega’s voice after a moment.

 

“Mm?” he said.

 

“Can I ask you a favor?” Dan said again, not looking up from his arms. “You can say no if you want.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Would you…just…just, like, lie down next to me and just…hold me for a little while?”

 

Phil’s heart gave a tiny jump at that, and he could feel his cheeks burning up again. He told his hand to keep moving, though, and managed to reply in a steady voice.

 

“Yeah, if that would help you,” he said.

 

Without a word, and without looking at Phil, the Omega turned on his side and wriggled further toward the middle of the bed, opening up a space behind him. Biting his lip and taking a deep breath, Phil lifted the covers and slid into the empty space, warm from the heat of Dan’s body. He lay his head against the pillows and curled his body around Dan’s. The Omega snuggled back against him at once, and without really thinking about it, Phil raised his left arm and wrapped it around the Omega’s midsection.

 

He heard a small sigh pass through Dan’s nose. He realized the Omega wasn’t crying anymore.

 

“I lied, kind of,” Dan said. His voice was rough. “It’s not just the heat.” He drew in a deep breath, and Phil could feel the way his chest expanded for a moment and then shrank as he exhaled. “I feel awful…guilty.”

 

“Because of me?” Phil asked. If his instincts were warning him to stay away from Dan because he was claimed, he couldn’t imagine what Dan’s instincts were doing to _him_. He must feel constantly like he was betraying his Alpha.

 

“No… Well, not really,” the Omega muttered. “I mean… This feels kind of wrong, but I know it isn’t. I feel guilty because…like, it feels like my body misses him more than I do.”

 

Phil’s arm tightened around the Omega’s middle, though he didn’t realize he’d done it.

 

“David — my Alpha, I mean — he died a week before my heat,” Dan continued after a short pause. His voice had gone softer for some reason. “We were only married eleven months. I guess…I still didn’t know him that well. It’s not that I didn’t love him. I wasn’t really _in love_ with him, at least not yet, but I cared for him, and I liked him, and when we…you know, when he had his rut or I had my heat, I felt really close to him.” He paused again, laying his head back a little against Phil’s chest. “I think I would have fallen in love with him, if I’d had more time, but I didn’t. He just died, and then my heat was coming, and I didn’t want to take heat suppressants because—“ He stopped as a shudder ran through him. “It was supposed to be our time together, when we felt close, and…and yet somehow, with some pills I could just make it disappear.” He lifted a hand and waved it in the air, miming something floating away. “Like he’d never even been there.”

 

He fell silent. Phil waited for him to continue, but eventually it became clear that he wasn’t going to say anything else.

 

“So…that’s why you got me?” he asked finally, curious and still not entirely sure why Dan was so upset.

 

“No,” Dan shook his head, and a few strands of his hair tickled Phil under the chin. “I told you, buying you was my Alpha Father’s idea. I mean…I agreed, I guess…but only after my heat.” He fell silent again, and Phil thought he was done, but then suddenly, he added, “It was the worst heat I’ve ever had. Going through heat without an Alpha is pretty awful, but going through heat without _your_ Alpha… I decided anything was better than spending three days wanting to die because I knew my Alpha was never coming back.”

 

The Omega’s body was trembling, so Phil pressed himself closer and closed his arms more securely around him. He thought of the other times he’d held Dan like this, on the first night he’d arrived and on the night he’d gotten drunk. Just like those two times, it felt really good now, really _right_. He liked the idea of being able to hold Dan like this anytime he wanted.

 

“Isn’t biology weird?” Dan’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

 

“Why do you say that?” Phil asked, trying to focus.

 

“I mean, a few minutes ago, I was a complete mess, but now I feel so calm, just because you’re an Alpha.” Phil noticed then that the Omega’s body had stopped trembling, and he was taking deep, even breaths again. “You’re not even the Alpha my body wants, but it still responds to you, just because it knows we’re compatible.”

 

“That is pretty weird,” Phil agreed. That was right, he reminded himself. This was all just biology. Holding Dan felt good because his instincts told him that he would make a suitable mate. That was all it was.

 

He heard Dan’s stomach make a protesting growl, and then Dan snorted a little laugh.

 

“So, my stomach says it’s time for lunch,” he said, wriggling a bit until Phil released him from his hold. He rolled away and sat up, so Phil sat up too. “Okay, before we call for someone to bring us food, we have to take care of a few things.”

 

A knot twisted in the pit of Phil’s stomach. Right, they had to trick everyone into thinking they’d had sex while Dan was in heat.

 

“First,” the Omega said, grinning and holding up one finger, “we’ve got to trash this bed. Second, we’ve got to both take showers, and Third,” he paused to clear his throat, “Ahem. You have to scent me.”

 

Phil’s stomach knots tied themselves even tighter. Of course he had to scent Dan. It would be ridiculous to try to convince anyone that he had knotted Dan without even scenting him.

 

Dan had a thoughtful expression on his face. He was turned away from Phil, but then he darted a glance at him.

 

“Um, I think you should scent me first,” he said. “Then you can go take a shower while I mess up the bed, and then I’ll take a shower while you call for our lunch.”

 

There was red warmth creeping up the back of Phil’s neck, but he nodded. Dan smiled a little at him and then sat back on the bed with legs crossed and eyes closed. It took a second for Phil to understand that he expected Phil to just go for it.

 

Phil’s heart started hammering in his chest as he leaned closer. He knew that Alphas and Omegas had scent glands around the edges of their faces and that they used these to mark one another, a way to claim and to warn away other potential mates without the permanence of bonding. Phil had never scented anyone before, though, and he wasn’t exactly sure what to do. Should he just…rub his face on Dan’s face?

 

One of Dan’s eyes opened partway.

 

“Are you going to do it?” he asked.

 

Phil’s gaze fell to the tiny patch of empty duvet between them.

 

“I…I don’t know what to do,” he whispered, heart clenching with embarrassment.

 

“Oh,” Dan said. “You just, like, rub the side of your face on my neck or my hair…” His voice trailed off. “Okay, I’ll do it to you first, so you can see how it works.”

 

Relieved, Phil sat back at once and closed his eyes, mimicking Dan’s posture.

 

He could hear the faint sounds of the Omega crawling across the duvet toward him. Then he could sense him leaning near, and a moment later, he felt the smooth skin of his cheek against his neck and the crisp softness of his hair rubbing against his ear. His senses were suddenly flooded with the Omega’s scent, which today reminded him of the way leaves smelled when they were warmed by sunshine, but also there was that faint, disturbing thread of heat— 

 

Something coiled tight in the pit of Phil’s stomach. Without consciously deciding to, he raised his hands and gripped the Omega’s shoulders. He heard a small gasp, and then he opened his eyes to find that he had pushed Dan onto his back and had buried his nose in the fragrant skin of the Omega’s neck. There was a fuzzy sort of objection in the back of his mind, something to do with how the Omega smelled, but for the moment all he could focus on was how badly he needed to mark Dan as _his_.

 

“Phil?” he heard a voice say somewhere in the distance.

 

He froze, suddenly coming to his senses. He yanked his head back and dropped his hands from where they had been pinning the Omega’s shoulders to the mattress.

 

His body was pressing Dan’s into the mattress, and the Omega was gazing up at him with cheeks flushed and lips slightly parted. Phil could feel Dan’s chest heaving against him.

 

“M-maybe you should go take your shower now,” Dan murmured. His eyes flitted down for a moment and then back up to Phil’s face.

 

Phil couldn’t meet his eyes. He looked away, nodding, and then slid over and off the bed. When he stood he realized that he was hard. _Shit._ He hoped Dan hadn’t noticed, except that, as firmly as their bodies had been pressed together, he was about 99.99% positive that Dan had _definitely_ noticed. He half-stumbled, half-ran to the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him.

 

Once inside, he leaned his back against the wall and reached down inside his pants to squeeze the base of his erection, trying to will it away. It wasn’t helping that the Omega’s scent was all over him, oozing from his every pore, nor that he was picturing vividly the way Dan’s pupils had dilated as his eyes stared up at him. He wondered if the Omega wanted him. If he had reached down and pulled off his t-shirt and bent his mouth to Dan’s bare skin—

 

He shook his head. No, no, he wasn’t going to think about that. He gave up trying to get rid of his hard-on and instead hurried over to the shower stall and turned on the water. He stripped down while the water got warm and then climbed inside, sticking his head under the hot stream and reaching down to grip his stiff cock.

 

He sighed at the sensation. Fuck that felt good.

 

He slid his fingers up and down his length a few times, trying to keep his thoughts clear. Before, when he used to do this, he hadn’t thought of much of anything other than how nice it felt. That wasn’t the case now. There was a clear picture of Dan’s face in his mind as he squeezed himself a little, pressing lightly with his thumb at the swollen tip of his dick.

 

He could still hear the Omega’s soft gasp as Phil had pushed him down on the bed, still feel the way his body had relaxed beneath Phil’s as he’d held him down and marked him with his scent. And when Phil had opened his eyes, had looked into the Omega’s face, his mouth had been open, his lips that blood-warmed pink that made Phil long to kiss them. He wondered what it would feel like to have those lips wrapped around him right now. Dan’s mouth must be so hot and wet. Maybe he’d let his jaw go slack, maybe he’d lie back and let Phil fuck his mouth like it was his hole, whining and choking around Phil’s hard Alpha cock—

 

Eyes squeezed shut and forehead pressed against the black tile of the shower stall, Phil came over the top of his fist, letting out a long groan that he hoped the sound of the water covered up.

 

He stood there panting for a minute, letting the waves of languid pleasure spill through his limbs and slowly dissipate. For that blissful minute, his thoughts were mute, just a blank white wall of satisfaction, but as he started to come down, it hit him that he had just gotten off while fantasizing about his master. Did that mean he was attracted to him after all? It was a bewildering question.

 

He turned it over in his mind as he reached for the body wash and began to hurriedly scrub himself down.

 

The thing was, he’d never had anyone to fantasize about before. Maybe any Omega would have sufficed, like the nameless Omega whose scent had aroused him when he’d been starting his first rut. And then there was the undeniable influence of Dan’s heat hormones. Once those were out of his system, he’d probably feel as uninterested in Dan as ever.

 

This is what he had concluded by the time he had finished drying off and dressed again. He hadn’t thought to bring a change of clothes, but his old ones weren’t really dirty anyway, so he’d just put them back on.

 

When he stepped back into the bedroom, Dan was seated at his desk, doing something on his computer. He looked up and smiled at Phil, and that’s when a scent tickled Phil’s nose. Beneath the strong, mingled scents of Omega and Alpha, there was something familiar and disturbing, something that reminded him of his rut. He felt warmth creeping across his skin, pricklier than the lingering warmth of the shower, and his cock gave a twitch of renewed interest inside his pants.

 

A blush spread across his cheeks as he realized he was getting turned on all over again, and fear froze his insides for a moment as he wondered if the suppressants had failed and Dan was going into heat after all. Then he caught sight of the rumpled bed and the bottle of lube he’d bought sitting beside it. Then it clicked. It wasn’t just lube. It was artificial slick, like the kind they’d given him to use on the dolls during his rut. It must be infused with heat pheromones, to trick anyone who came here into thinking it was the scent of Dan’s heat.

 

“I, um, I’m going to take my shower now,” he heard Dan saying. The Omega was on his feet now and eyeing him with an unsure expression. “Would you mind putting away all the stuff from my bedside table and calling for lunch.”

 

Phil nodded his head, not trusting his voice. Something deep inside him was urging him to reach for the Omega, to prevent him from leaving the room. He bit his lip to distract himself, and Dan brushed past him. He heard the bathroom door shut and the lock click, and he was able to breathe a little more easily.

 

He turned toward the bed, bracing himself for the overwhelming scent of the artificial slick Dan had poured on the sheets. He tried to hold his breath, but the scent had already filled his head with a hot, fuzzy feeling. He rushed to stash the bottle of slick and the open box of condoms in a drawer of Dan’s bedside table. Then he turned to the intercom near the bedroom door and pushed the button.

 

“This is Phil,” he said into it, hoping someone on the other end was listening. “Omega Dan would like his room cleaned and his lunch brought up.”

 

“I’ll send someone right away,” came Beta Tony’s voice from the other end.

 

Phil stepped back then and looked down with a sigh at the erection that now tented the front of his trousers again. He had to get rid of it or hide it somehow before the house slaves arrived, but with the room still heavy with the scent of heat pheromones, he doubted it was going away any time soon. He dashed over to the desk, plopped down in the chair and pulled up a YouTube video of kittens. He scooted the chair as close to the desk as possible so that there was no possible way anyone could see his crotch.

 

There was a knock at the door barely a minute later, and he called for them to come in. He smiled at the two slaves that entered — Beta Jonathan and Beta Brian? he thought were their names — and they offered him polite nods before turning to their task.

 

They worked in silence, stripping the bed and putting on fresh bedding, emptying the trash — Phil saw two used-looking condoms fall out and wondered what Dan had done to make them look so convincing. Maybe he’d filled them with lube or…maybe he’d put them on himself and stroked over his own little Omega cock until— Phil cleared his throat and tried to concentrate harder on the cute kittens on the screen.

 

Jonathan and Brian worked fast. They finished cleaning in just a few minutes, taking away the soiled sheets and, along with them, most of the dangerous scent. Phil sighed in relief. They’d barely left when Beta Tony himself came in, carrying a huge tray loaded with dishes. He was followed by Beta Laura, carrying a second tray.

 

They each offered Phil a smile as they set their trays down on the table on the far side of Dan’s room and began unloading their contents. Neither of them spoke to Phil either, though, until they were finished, when Beta Tony finally spoke up.

 

“Just ring again when you’re ready for us to come clear the dishes away.”

 

“Okay,” Phil said, and then added an awkward, “Thank you.”

 

“It’s our pleasure,” Beta Tony said, with a slight incline of his head, “to serve our master.” Then he and the other slave retreated.

 

Right, of course. Why was Phil thanking them? It wasn’t like they were doing any of this for his sake.

 

From behind the bathroom door, he heard the shower turn off and then faint sounds of movement. His erection had started to subside, but he stayed right where he was, hoping that if he watched enough videos of cute, baby animals, it would go away entirely.

 

He heard the bathroom door open and felt a warm breath of steamy air waft out from inside. A few seconds later, Dan was behind him, leaning over his shoulder so that his damp hair brushed Phil’s cheek. Despite the shower, he still smelled strongly of Phil, and suddenly Phil’s hard-on was back in full force. He almost sighed in frustration.

 

“Aww, look at those little pups,” Dan was cooing in his ear.

 

The Omega was so close. It would be so easy to take his arm and pull him down onto Phil’s lap, slide a hand under his clothes while he pulled the Omega’s hand down to his crotch—

 

“Ugh, I’m starving,” Dan said, standing upright again and moving away. “You gonna come eat?”

 

“Um, let me finish this video,” Phil said, keeping his eyes on the computer screen. He listened to the sounds of Dan settling himself at the table and then picking up a fork and digging into the pasta the house slaves had brought up for their lunch. Once he was sure Dan was completely focused on his food, he hopped up from the computer, mumbled something about needing to pee, and dashed into the bathroom.

 

He fantasized about Dan sitting on his lap and using his hands on him this time, and he managed to come even more quickly than he had before. When he was finished, he stood in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection, trying to compose himself before he had to confront Dan again. His cheeks were flushed a deep pink, and there were beads of sweat along his hairline.

 

He wiped his face down with a damp washcloth and then hurried back out again. Hopefully Dan had been too distracted by lunch to notice how long he’d been gone.

 

If he did notice — or if he noted the unusually flushed nature of Phil’s face — he said nothing. Instead, he merely smiled when the Alpha came back into the room and indicated the empty seat across from him. That was when Phil noticed that he was only wearing a bathrobe. He tried not to think about what he might — or might not — be wearing underneath it.

 

“So,” Dan said around a mouthful of pasta as soon as Phil had seated himself, “do you think they bought it?”

 

Phil was carefully avoiding looking at the Omega. The scent of heat in the room had mostly dissipated, but their mingled scents still lingered heavily in the air, sending funny feelings rippling through his stomach.

 

“They were all acting pretty normally,” he said as he poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher Beta Laura had brought. “At least, as far as I could tell, they were.”

 

“Perfect.”

 

Phil glanced up then to see that one side of the Omega’s mouth had quirked up in a grin. He found himself smiling in response, though Dan’s eyes were downcast, fixed on the plate of food in front of him.

 

“Thank you,” Dan said then, his eyes flickering up to meet Phil’s. “For doing all of this, I mean. I know I’m asking a lot of you.”

 

“More than if you’d asked me to knot you during your heat?” Phil asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

Dan blinked at him in surprise for a moment. Then a blush spread over his cheeks, and he dropped his gaze to his pasta once more.

 

“N-no, I guess not,” he said. 

 

He didn’t look up much throughout the rest of the meal, and his conversation became far more subdued. Phil found himself forced to lead the conversation, and from somewhere he dredged up the confidence to ask Dan more about his Alpha.

 

“Oh, we knew each other for a few years before we were married,” Dan murmured into his water glass in response to one of Phil’s questions. “I was actually at school with his younger Omega sister, and she and I were good friends.”

 

“So, it wasn’t an arranged match then?” Phil asked, surprised. He thought all families like Dan’s only married to further the family interests.

 

“Well, it sort of was,” Dan said, his voice growing lower. “David and I both knew that we were compatible since we’d met a few times. He was the one who asked his Alpha Father to arrange a match with my dad, though. We’d never really, you know, dated or anything.”

 

Phil frowned, even more surprised.

 

“Did you date then? Other people, I mean.”

 

Dan seemed to choke on his pasta then. Phil stared in concern as the Omega coughed loudly and gulped down half his glass of water.

 

“Um,” he said finally, wiping at watery eyes. “You could say that.” He took another long drink of water then glanced up at Phil, looking almost embarrassed. “I was actually a bit of a slut before I got married.”

 

“But…I thought Omegas had to be virgins before marriage and all that,” Phil said, waving a hand to indicate whatever “all that” entailed. Perhaps if he hadn’t had such a trying day, he might have second-guessed asking questions that, at any other time, he would have felt were grossly impertinent.

 

Dan shrugged, leaning back in his seat a bit.

 

“Nobody really cares about that sort of thing,” he said, “not nowadays. As long as you don’t get pregnant and don’t fu— um, fool around with Alphas, nobody really cares what you do before marriage.”

 

“Oh, so you mean you, like, slept with Betas?” Phil asked, intrigued. “Or other Omegas?”

 

The Omega’s entire face turned bright red.

 

“Phil!” he said, looking away as though he couldn’t meet the Alpha’s eyes. “That’s not really any of your business.”

 

That’s when it finally dawned on Phil how strange his behavior had become. In horror, he thought back over the conversation of the past few minutes. What had he been thinking? Holy crap. A slave could be beaten for much less!

 

“I’m very sorry, Omega Dan,” he said, standing up and bowing deeply. “It was impertinent of me to talk to you that way.”

 

Really, what had come over him to make him treat Dan like that?

 

“It’s okay, Phil,” he heard the Omega murmur. “And, really, you don’t have to use my title. I promise I’m not offended.”

 

Phil stood upright again to find Dan gazing up at him from his seat. There was something unreadable in his eyes, something at once dark and soft. It sent those funny ripples through his abdomen again.

 

“Are you finished eating now?” he said, not knowing what else to say. “Should I call the house slaves to clean up?”

 

“Oh, yes, thank you,” Dan replied, frowning down at his mostly-empty plate.

 

As Phil went to the intercom and spoke to Beta Tony, the Omega walked over to the bed and crawled under the clean covers.

 

“Um, I guess I should go—“ Phil started to say once he had stepped away from the intercom, but Dan sat up and beckoned him over.

 

“No, no, that’ll look strange. Come over here close to me. Quick, before they come!”

 

So Phil rushed over to the bed and sat himself on the edge of it near where Dan lay. A few seconds later, he heard the door to Dan’s rooms open, and then Beta Tony and Beta Laura entered once more and began clearing away the dishes.

 

“Can I bring you anything else, Master Daniel,” Beta Tony asked when he had gathered his portion of their dirty dishes. Looking at the two Beta slaves stood there with their trays, Phil’s fingers almost itched to help out. He hated being waited on.

 

“No, we’re fine, Tony. Thank you,” Dan said from where he had snuggled down under the duvet. His voice sounded vague and kind of tired, and Phil marveled at the contrast with how he had sounded just moments before. He was giving a pretty convincing performance of having just gone through a heat.

 

When the house slaves had left, Phil jumped up from the bed, ready to make his own exit. He needed time alone in the fresh air of his own quarters to calm his agitated nerves, but he felt the Omega’s fingers come around his wrist, holding him in place.

 

“Stay,” he heard Dan murmur. “Please.”

 

Phil wanted to flinch away. He wanted to run from the room. He just needed to clear his head away from here, away from Dan. But if Dan wanted him to stay—

 

He sat back down on the edge of the bed, waiting for Dan to tell him what to do.

 

“I’m sorry,” Dan said. “I know you want to go. I just… Maybe we could watch mor—“ Dan’s voice cut off suddenly, and Phil turned to see the Omega bent forward, one arm clutched around his middle and eyes screwed shut.

 

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Phil said, reaching a hand out toward Dan but leaving it to hover ineffectually near his arm.

 

“Mmm,” Dan said, drawing in a deep breath and then opening his eyes. “Can you reach into the drawer in my bedside table and find the box of medicine I had you buy last night?”

 

Phil did as he was told. He’d forgotten about the little box of over-the-counter medicine, having been too distracted by the other purchases. He pulled out the blister pack of pills from inside the box and punched out two. He handed them to Dan and then poured him another glass of water from the pitcher sitting there.

 

“Thank you,” the Omega said in a faint voice. He was still clutching his abdomen as he downed the blue-colored capsules. Phil took the chance to look more closely at the box and frowned. They were pain relievers for cramps. Was that another of the symptoms from his suppressants?

 

Dan was leaning back against his pillows with the glass of water held loosely in one hand, so Phil took the glass from him and set it on his bedside table again.

 

“Thank you,” Dan repeated, casting a glance up at Phil out of the corners of his eyes.

 

“Is there anything else I can get you?” Phil asked, uncertain of how best to help. “Um, a hot water bottle?”

 

“No, but could you,” Dan paused, chewing at his lips for a moment. “It’s just…with the suppressants just kicking in, my body is kinda weird right now, and when you, um, held me earlier it really helped.”

 

“Okay,” Phil said, resigning himself to his lot. He reached for the duvet and lifted it up, and Dan scooted over a bit, and he found himself climbing up into the bed and curling around the Omega once more. This was only his fourth day here, yet already the position felt almost natural.

 

Dan’s hand took hold of his wrist and pulled his arm around his midsection as it had been earlier. Phil let it lie there, not daring to pull the Omega’s body any closer. Already the scent and feel of him so near were doing things to Phil, making the blood rise to the surface of his skin and unsteadying his breathing. Holding Dan had never felt like this before, not even just a short while earlier.

 

“Phil,” came Dan’s voice. He couldn’t see the Omega’s face, really, other than the curve of one cheek.

 

“Yeah?” Phil said.

 

“Could you, like, rub my abdomen a little?” 

 

Phil waited a moment, trying to rein in his breathing.

 

“Okay,” he said, sliding his hand down a bit and moving it in light circles over the thick cloth of the bathrobe covering the Omega’s abdomen.

 

“Mm, I meant, like, directly on my skin,” Dan murmured. “I-I know it’s weird, but…like, skin to skin contact with an Alpha really helps calm my body down.”

 

Phil swallowed. He tried not to think of anything at all as he moved his hand up again and then slid it inside the loose opening of the Omega’s bathrobe. He wasn’t wearing any kind of shirt underneath, so Phil’s hand immediately met warm skin. He pushed his hand a little lower, just past the indent of the Omega’s belly button, and then he began to rub his palm against the smooth skin in slow, rhythmic circles.

 

Dan let out a low moan and tilted his head back against Phil’s shoulder. Phil felt the length of the Omega’s body melting against his own.

 

“Mmm, that feels really good, Phil,” he heard him murmur.

 

Phil could only hope that the Omega was too distracted to notice Phil’s hard dick pressed against the soft cloth over the Omega’s buttocks. He couldn’t believe he was hard again after already getting off two times within the space of about an hour. He’d known before that heat hormones could affect an Alpha this way, but knowing and experiencing were two vastly different things.

 

He shuffled his hips back ever so slightly, hoping Dan wouldn’t notice the movement. His hopes were dashed a second later when Dan responded by scooting closer again. Phil felt the Omega’s whole body suddenly tense, and he cringed. Dan had noticed.

 

“Phil,” he murmured. “Are you…”

 

He yanked his hand back and rolled away so that his back faced Dan. His whole face was glowing with heat. Oh god. Why hadn’t he been blessed with the power to just magically disappear in moments like this?

 

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—“

 

“No, no, it’s okay,” he heard the Omega saying. A moment later Dan’s face appeared, hovering a ways above him. There was a little line between his eyebrows. “I mean, I would probably be more shocked if you didn’t, you know, react that way…in this situation.”

 

Phil’s hands sprang up to cover his face. God, this was embarrassing.

 

“Hey, no, it’s really fine, Phil,” Dan said, and Phil felt a hand resting on his shoulder. “Um, if you want I could… Um, I could take care of it for you.”

 

Phil’s breath caught in his throat. Oh god. Surely just knotting Dan in the first place couldn’t have been any more awkward than this.

 

There was certainly a part of him that wanted to say yes, the same part that had been fantasizing about the Omega all day. However, the majority of him was fantasizing more about just sinking into the earth and completely ceasing to exist.

 

“No, thank you,” he managed to choke out from behind his hands. “I’m just gonna go, uh, to the bathroom.”

 

He all but flung himself off the bed without daring to look at Dan and hurried to the bathroom yet again.

 

Fortunately, his embarrassment had mostly taken care of his problem this time, so all he did was splash his face with cold water for a few minutes until his body had calmed down. When he finally left the bathroom, he found that Dan had put on a t-shirt and jeans and was sat on the bed with his laptop.

 

The Omega looked up as Phil stepped into the room, and his mouth opened to speak, but Phil beat him to it.

 

“How are you feeling now?” he said, trying to make his voice sound normal, though he knew it was just a bit too loud. “Does your, uh, abdomen still hurt?”

 

Dan set his laptop aside, shaking his head.

 

“No, I feel fine now. You helped a lot. Thank you.” He was watching Phil with careful eyes.

 

“You’re welcome.” The words came out of his mouth automatically. “I think I should go.”

 

“Okay,” Dan said, swinging his legs off the bed and standing up. “I’m sorry I put you through all this. I know it wasn’t easy for you, so….thank you.”

 

Phil nodded.

 

“You’re welcome,” he said again because he didn’t know what else to say.

 

Then Phil left, and this time Dan didn’t try to stop him. He just stayed there next to the bed, watching the Alpha go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, all! Thank you so much to everyone who's read, kudos-ed, and commented so far. I think I'm going to start alternating new chapters of Second Chance and Stuck in a Rut, so there should be a new chapter of Stuck in a Rut on Sunday and a new chapter of this fic next Thursday. I hope you enjoy it! <3<3


	5. Days 4-5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Omega!Dan makes an executive decision. (Warnings: discussions of sex)

“Oh, very well done, Dan,” Dan said to the empty room once the Alpha had gone.

 

His throat was closing up already, and the tears were forming once again at the corners of his eyes. _How pathetic_ , he thought as he savagely swiped the moisture away. Forcing his company on a slave. A slave! Someone who by definition wasn’t allowed to turn him down.

 

And it was so clear that if he’d been allowed to, Phil would have kept as far away from Dan as possible.

 

“Just keep fucking everything up, don’t I?” Dan muttered as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood.

 

It wasn’t his fault he was so lonely, though. That, at least, he couldn’t be blamed for. He’d come back here, back _home_ , with some hazy thought that he would feel better surrounded by his family. Well, that, and it had seemed easier at the time, living in someone else’s house, where someone else was in charge, and he wouldn’t have to think or do or decide anything.

 

He knew, of course, he’d have to live here in the Widow’s Suite. That was just the way things were done, and he’d thought it was a good thing anyway. The somber surroundings would help him mourn David, his Alpha, as he should. He would let the outer trappings of grief train his inner thoughts into the proper channels.

 

And it had seemed to be working. For the past few months he’d haunted these rooms, listless and vague, thinking of David as often as he could. He’d kept a photo of him on his bedside table, his handsome, smiling face staring out at him, a constant, needling reminder of what he’d lost.

 

He glanced over at it now: the bare space on the table where his Alpha’s photo had been until just a few days ago. It lay now inside a drawer, stashed beside a bottle of lube and a box of knotting condoms.

 

A breath of joyless laughter escaped Dan’s nose. David would probably have found the juxtaposition hilarious.

 

He drew a deep breath, staring around the black-draped room. His head felt all wooly, and he couldn’t seem to get his thoughts straight. A symptom of the suppressants, no doubt. 

 

Four days ago, he’d barely been able to think David’s name without tears choking his throat. But today, he’d gone so far as to speak his name aloud, to a near-stranger, no less, with almost no effect. Had it really only been the influence of the Alpha slave’s pheromones that had kept him so calm?

 

He didn’t feel quite so calm now. His insides felt all jittery, as though they were starting to crack, ready at any moment to fall apart again.

 

He wished Phil hadn’t gone.

 

A tiny spark of anger lit inside him. He needed to stop thinking that way. Was he really so pathetic that he was rendered near-useless by the lack of an Alpha? Was he really becoming one of _those_ Omegas?

 

He turned and strode over to the bedroom door, stepping through into his sitting room, as dark and gloomy as the adjoining room had been. He wanted to groan. Just a few days of freedom — sleeping in Phil’s room, taking him out to the shops, the cinema, for food — had seemed to stir Dan from a sort of slumber his life here had lulled him into. These rooms that had seemed the perfect treatment for his grief now just grated on him. He itched to get out of them again.

 

But he was pretending to have just gone through a heat, and for that he’d need to stay cooped up in here for at least another night.

 

If only there were _anyone_ to talk to — if he hadn’t driven Phil away, if his Alpha Father weren’t off on the continent for yet another business conference, if Leila weren’t on vacation in the Seychelles, or Elizabeth hadn’t gone on that summer study abroad in Argentina. Hell, he’d even settle for the company of one of his littlest brothers, Neal and Rory, or, God forbid, his Omega Mother. But they were out of the country as well, spending the summer in a chalet in Switzerland. His mum absolutely _hated_ the summer heat.

 

He reached up and rubbed his hands over his hair, not caring for once that he was turning his curls into frizzy fluff. No one was here to see it anyway.

 

Maybe tomorrow, when he could escape again, he’d go and pay a visit to Claire. No one could fault an Omega in mourning for visiting his dead Alpha’s sister, right? She was in mourning too, after all. They could be devastated together.

 

 

By the time night had fallen and he felt it was finally late enough to crawl back into bed and go to sleep, Dan had sunk into an even more morose frame of mind. The hours had crept by, agonizing in their emptiness, and more than once he’d had to stop himself from calling for Tony and demanding he bring Phil back. 

 

It would be cruel to force the Alpha back here now. Dan had seen how thin his self-control had worn. He was just a teenaged Alpha after all, susceptible to even Dan’s very slight aura of heat hormones. An older Alpha might have more easily resisted.

 

But that dredged up thoughts of David in his mind. David had been five years older than Dan — twenty-four to Dan’s eighteen when they’d married.

 

Dan rolled over in his wide, cold bed, trying not to remember how glowingly handsome David had looked on their wedding day, the way his black eyes had seemed to swallow Dan whole as he pulled him close before the minister and all their family and friends, the way he’d held him even closer later, in the lush bridal suite of their hotel. He’d picked him up and carried him to the bed, very, very slowly stripped him of suit jacket, waistcoat, shirt, trousers… It hadn’t been Dan’s first time, not by a long shot, but it had felt _new_ … He’d never been with an Alpha before.

 

He shivered, his skin suddenly sensitive to the slight rubbing of the sheets over his bare arms and legs. He drew in a deep breath and then groaned. He still smelled very strongly of Alpha…of Phil.

 

God, he was horny.

 

This was the longest he’d gone without getting laid since he was fifteen and had let an overeager Beta pull him into an empty room at a house party and take his virginity.

 

He could still remember that particular combination of nervousness and heated excitement that had made him dizzy when the boy had pulled down his jeans and boxers and flipped him over onto his stomach on some stranger’s bed.

 

“Wow,” the Beta had said. “You’re so wet.”

 

“Just hurry up and put the condom on,” Dan had muttered, casting a quick glance back at the boy over his shoulder. There hadn’t been a lock on the door, and he didn’t fancy having some random drunk kid wander in and see his naked ass.

 

The Beta had fumbled for far too long to get the condom on, giving the lie to the boasts of great skill and experience he’d whispered into Dan’s willing ear downstairs. Dan hadn’t cared, though. He’d guessed most of what the boy said was a lie anyway. He’d just been so done with being a virgin, so ready to just get it over with already.

 

Dan had had his first heat pretty young, at thirteen, and had gone on heat suppressants immediately afterward. But while suppressants could keep his heats at bay, they did nothing for the sudden welling of desire that came with them. Most of the kids his age hadn’t had their first heats or ruts yet, or they were Betas who matured more slowly anyway. So he’d gone after older people right from the start.

 

Phil was younger than he was, though.

 

_Why am I thinking of Phil?_

 

He buried his face in his pillow, which smelled only of the detergent used to wash the fresh pillowcase. Maybe the neutral scent would help him calm down.

 

When he came up for air again, though, he was still hard inside his pajama bottoms.

 

He sighed. Might as well just give in.

 

He moved his hips first, rubbing his desperate cock against the firmness of the mattress.

 

“Hmmm,” he sighed again. That felt good.

 

Unbidden, a memory sprang into his mind, of strong fingers holding him down, a heavy body pressing his body into the bed, the hard outline of a huge Alpha cock rubbing against his crotch, and the scent of Alpha flooding over him.

 

He groaned and slid a hand down between his body and the mattress, rubbing himself through the thin fabric of his pajama bottoms.

 

The Alpha’s scent was still all over him, stirring his already-agitated blood.

 

He moved his hand up and then plunged it inside his boxers, wrapping his fingers loosely around his aching member. He pulled his hips up a little off the bed, giving himself room to thrust into the warm tunnel formed by his fingers.

 

He’d topped a lot during sex, before he’d married David, and when he wasn’t in heat, he liked it just as well as being penetrated. He’d fucked other Omegas, Betas, males, females — it hadn’t really mattered to him. He’d just loved sex with pretty people, no matter what form it took. Alphas weren’t much into being topped, though, at least not in Dan’s limited experience. 

 

He wondered now, as he thrust hard into his hand, what it would be like to top an Alpha. Not that that was what he was really longing for right now, with heat hormones coursing through his veins.

 

Leaning more of his weight onto his shoulders, he reached his other hand back, slipping it inside his boxers and letting his fingers trail down to his hole. He wasn’t surprised to find it wet with slick. Most of the time he needed lube, but not when his heat was near.

 

He slipped two fingers inside easily — another side effect of his heat hormones — and moaned softly into his pillow. He needed so badly to be fucked, right now. He pushed the fingers in as deep as they would go, moving them in slow circles, stretching himself open wider. He knew exactly how much his hole could handle, and that was quite a lot. His lips split into a grin as he remembered the time he’d let two Betas fuck him at the same time — two Beta dicks stretching his hole wide open, sliding and slipping over one another and against his inner walls as he screamed and panted and saw stars. It had been so fucking hot, and they’d both begged him to do it again, but by then he’d already grown bored of them.

 

He shoved a third finger inside, squeezing and pulling at his leaking cock all the while. Taking two Beta dicks at once had still not quite prepared him for the overwhelming fullness of being knotted.

 

God, David’s cock had been so gorgeous — thick and dark and heavy. They’d been married for barely two weeks when Dan had had his heat, and his new husband had knotted and bonded with him. Face pressed against a silk sheet, with a strong hand pinning him down, Dan had cried out loud enough for the whole house to hear as that massive cock had plunged deep inside his eager body and the thick knot had swollen, stretching his already-loose rim almost beyond what he could bear. He’d come immediately, his raw cock pumping only a slight drizzle to add to the warm, wet patch of cum and slick beneath his belly, but then there had been teeth at his shoulder, biting down hard into his bonding mark, and he’d nearly blacked out from the combination of pleasure and pain and yet another orgasm pulsing through him. 

 

And then he’d heard the Alpha’s voice at his ear, whispering how good he was, how much he loved him, how he wanted to breed him, how he belonged to him.

 

In his lonely bed in his dark bedroom, Dan came into his hand with a low cry that he muffled against the pillow. 

 

He lay for a while on his stomach, sticky hand still held over his softening cock to keep the moisture from dripping down onto the sheets. He didn’t much fancy sleeping in a wet bed.

 

He wondered if David had known then, when Dan had just smiled as the Alpha poured his heart into his ear. If he’d realized, still locked together from bonding, tongue licking lazily over his teeth marks, that Dan hadn’t loved him back. In the heat and emotion of the moment, Dan himself had been far from realizing it. He’d never felt closer to anyone in his life, with David’s body inside him and all around him, his hormones pulsing through Dan’s veins, his scent settling itself into Dan’s skin. Dan had mistaken that for love, at least at first.

 

As his heartbeat slowed and his breathing calmed, tears began to slide down Dan’s cheek for the umpteenth time that day.

 

Without bothering to wipe them away, he rolled out of bed and stumbled to his bathroom. When he’d washed his hands and changed into fresh boxers, he stood for a while staring at the rumpled bedclothes of his giant, luxurious bed.

 

Then he stepped away and at last reached up to brush away the tears streaking his cheeks. On silent feet, he left the room, stepped out into the corridor, tiptoed down the stairs and through the slave quarters until he found the door he wanted.

 

He almost laughed when he saw the Alpha’s body lying at the very edge of his small bed. Despite the lack of space, in his sleeping state he’d still left an opening.

 

As gently and quietly as he could, Dan lifted the duvet and slipped underneath. The Alpha turned at once, pulled him in against his chest. For a second, Dan held his breath, worried he’d woken the slave, but no. It had been an unconscious act. Phil’s breathing continued deep and slow.

 

Dan dropped off to sleep so quickly, he didn’t even have time to wonder at the speed of it.

 

 

**

 

 

“Claire, have you ever been with a virgin?” he asked the following afternoon.

 

The two of them were seated in Claire’s personal sitting room in the apartments she shared with her Alpha Wife a few blocks over. She, like Dan, was dressed in black, though the rooms she occupied retained their normal decorations, in a tasteful palette of golds and muted greys.

 

Claire was curled up in a huge, overstuffed armchair next to the French doors that let onto the balcony, and Dan had chosen the armchair’s twin situated on the opposite side of the doors.

 

She stared at his question, her dark eyes going wide, before she let out a snort of laughter and shrugged.

 

“As a matter of fact, I believe my first girlfriend was a virgin when we met,” she said, reaching over to a small, marble-topped side table where a pack of cigarettes and a lighter lay.

 

Dan frowned.

 

“She was a Beta, wasn’t she? Michelle? Something like that?”

 

“Mm, yes,” Claire said, her attention focused for a moment on tamping a single cigarette from the package. Dan made a face, knowing she couldn’t see. She’d only taken up smoking a few months ago, shortly after marrying. She’d picked it up from her Alpha, Louisa, who was a very heavy smoker. Having extracted a cigarette from the pack, she held it poised between two fingers while she stared dreamily up toward the ceiling. “Virgin she might have been, but god could she suck dick.”

 

That pulled an involuntary laugh from Dan. Claire smiled in return and then held the cigarette to her lips, lit it, and took a long drag.

 

“I really wish you wouldn’t,” Dan muttered, waving a hand in front of his face, trying to ward away the foul-smelling smoke that wafted toward him once she had exhaled. “You know I hate the smell.”

 

“Ha,” Claire said, lowering her finely-shaped brows and leaning forward to level a gaze at him. “Fine words for someone who came here reeking of Alpha.”

 

Color sprang to Dan’s cheeks, and he turned at once to sniff at his clothes. Not that he’d be able to smell Phil’s scent on him through the pungent cloud of cigarette smoke. He couldn’t believe he’d already grown so accustomed to it, though, that he hadn’t even noticed it before now.

 

Claire had her nose in the air, with eyes half-lidded. She opened them again after a moment and grinned, blowing out twin streams of smoke from her nostrils.

 

“They smell sweet,” she said, “and young,” she added, sounding for all the world like an Omega of forty-five rather than one who was barely nineteen.

 

“I had my heat yesterday,” Dan said, shrugging and trying to sound nonchalant. He didn’t like having to lie to Claire, who was probably his closest friend, but under the circumstances, he couldn’t risk telling anyone the truth.

 

“Oh, with the new Alpha slave?” she asked, comprehension widening her eyes. She leaned toward the side table again to knock some ash off into a brass ash tray but paused, eyes widening further. “Is that where all this talk of virgins came from?”

 

Dan shrugged again.

 

“Don’t you feel like… I dunno, like you’re corrupting them or something?” Dan asked, shifting a bit in his seat.

 

“Hmm,” Claire mused, pulling from her cigarette again. “I feel quite sure Michelle was already corrupted well before she met me.” A salacious smile curled one side of her mouth before she glanced back over at Dan. “How was he anyway? You don’t seem to be showing any traces of heat now, so I suppose he at least got the job done.”

 

Dan didn’t know why he should suddenly be blushing. He and Claire had talked as brazenly as they wished about their sexual partners for as long as they had been having sex. Maybe it was simply because he and Phil weren’t actually sexual partners. It felt…inappropriate to be talking about the Alpha this way.

 

“He was fine,” Dan said, looking out the window to avoid Claire’s keen gaze. She and her Alpha lived in rooms on the twelfth floor of a very chic new building, and from the window, he could see for several miles in each direction.

 

“Fine?” Claire repeated. “How disappointing. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. They have to be virgins, don’t they, so you can be sure they’re clean.”

 

That made Dan cast a glance her way, a wry smile on his lips.

 

“Then how is it that in all your life you’ve only slept with one virgin?” he asked.

 

She rolled her eyes at him.

 

“I meant slaves, not our sort,” she said, stubbing out her cigarette and leaning back in her chair again. “You never know what someone might have been doing with a slave before you bought them.”

 

Dan frowned and quickly looked out the window again. Everything she was saying was perfectly true. He couldn’t think why it was making him feel so uncomfortable. Probably just because they’d been talking about Phil, and he didn’t like the thought of someone else doing things with Phil.

 

That explanation only deepened his frown, though. Slave though he may be, it wasn’t like Phil really belonged to him. In a year he’d be a free Alpha, and then he’d go off and live his own life and most likely never see Dan again. Maybe that’s why Dan was feeling so uncomfortable. It wasn’t like Phil was a _real_ slave. He was only one temporarily, just for now, until Dan didn’t need him anymore.

 

He bit his lip, suddenly feeling more uncomfortable than ever.

 

“Dan? You still there or have you left us?” Claire’s voice caused him to jerk his head back around to look at her again.

 

“Sorry,” he said, shifting in his armchair so he was facing her. “Just…chasing rabbit trails.”

 

She smiled at him then, a warm, sympathetic smile.

 

“I think your Alpha Father was right to buy this new slave for you,” she said in a low voice. “There’s color in your cheeks that I haven’t seen there in months.”

 

Dan let his lips twitch into a corresponding smile for just a moment.

 

“He’s easy to get along with,” Dan said.

 

“Good,” she told him, reaching forward and placing one dark-skinned hand on his foot where it rested on his armchair’s matching ottoman. “I worry about you, Dan,” she said, eyes gazing up at him through long lashes. “David’s death has been hard on all of us, but especially on you. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose Louisa.”

 

“And I hope you never have to find out,” Dan replied, eyes dropping down to stare at his knees.

 

“Come with me to the chateau,” she blurted out all of a sudden. At Dan’s startled gaze, she quickly added, “Louisa’s away on business until my next heat, and I told her, mourning or no mourning, she can’t expect me to stay in this big empty place all by myself for a month. We agreed a real holiday wouldn’t be proper, but it’s just a few weeks at our summer home, so I don’t see how that can really be considered a holiday.” She paused her monologue to give his foot a pat. “Come with me. It’ll do you good to get out of those awful, dreary rooms for a while.”

 

“They aren’t that bad,” Dan objected, though he’d been thinking almost the exact same thing just yesterday. “And anyway, it’s tradition.”

 

“Leave it to a Howell to defend Tradition,” Claire said, throwing herself back in her chair with a faux-exasperated huff.

 

“So eleven months of marriage wasn’t enough to make me into a true Chesterworth then?” Dan asked, eyebrows raised.

 

She just rolled her eyes at him.

 

“Are you coming with me to France or not?”

 

“I’m coming,” he said, a smile widening his cheeks.

 

“Excellent,” she told him. “You can bring your new plaything too,” she added, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

 

The bubble of happy anticipation that had begun to well up in Dan’s chest immediately burst. Oh, right. Phil. He drew in a deep breath and let it out.

 

“No, I think I’ll leave him here,” he said. “I won’t have another heat for months yet, and having him around would make it harder to meet sexy French Alphas.”

 

Claire grinned at that.

 

“There’s the Dan I know,” she laughed.

 

 

**

 

That evening as he supervised Tony’s packing of his suitcases, Dan went back and forth several times over whether or not to go bid Phil good-bye.

 

On the one hand, he felt they’d grown fairly close in their few days together. Perhaps they weren’t exactly friends, but it still felt wrong somehow to leave without telling him.

 

On the other hand, the entire point of leaving Phil behind was to give him his space. While Phil had never said outright that he didn’t enjoy spending time with Dan, it wasn’t difficult for the Omega to pick up on the signals he was giving off. He always looked uncomfortable, uneasy when they were out somewhere together. And yesterday…Phil had obviously wanted nothing more than to have Dan out of his sight. Dan thought the Alpha would probably breathe easier once he learned that his new master would be away for the next month.

 

And it was good for Dan too. He’d come dangerously close to developing a reliance on Phil and on the way the Alpha’s mere presence seemed to steady him. A month away with Claire and whatever friends she’d made in the vicinity of her Alpha’s chateau was just what he needed to cure the desperation his loneliness had kindled in him.

 

It was this thought that led him to finally decide to simply let Phil be. Dan and Claire would board their flight to Paris tomorrow, and surely it wouldn’t be long before one of the house slaves let Phil know his master was out. Dan had filled Phil’s bank account and left instructions with Tony to let him do as he pleased in Dan’s absence. Tony had lived with the Howells all his life, and he could probably do a better job even than Dan of helping Phil get accustomed to the house and its life.

 

So he told himself as he turned off the lights that night and settled down in his black-covered bed. He was halfway asleep already when he suddenly remembered that he’d meant to take his laptop back down and leave it for Phil to use while he was gone.

 

He could leave a note for Tony to take it to Phil tomorrow, but… Well, he’d successfully sneaked into Phil’s room last night and then out again in the morning without Phil ever noticing. It would be easy to slip in for a moment right now, and then he could fall asleep easily, knowing that everything he’d meant to do was taken care of.

 

He flipped his covers aside, grabbed up the laptop and cord from his desk, and tiptoed once again down the stairs into the slave quarters. He paused for a moment just outside of Phil’s room. No light showed under the door, and when he listened, it was silent inside. It was already past midnight, and Phil seemed to go to bed early.

 

He eased open the door and then carefully pulled it shut behind him. On silent feet, he walked the laptop over to the Alpha’s small desk, settled it oh so quietly on top and then stopped for a moment to assure himself Phil was indeed sleeping.

 

The Alpha occupied the exact same position he had the night before, curled up on his side on the very edge of the bed. Something fluttered in Dan’s chest at the sight.

 

Just one more night. That couldn’t hurt, could it? Not when he was going away to where Phil would be the farthest thing from his mind for an entire month.

 

He walked over to the bed, pulled up the duvet with the lightest of tugs, and slipped underneath.

 

The Alpha turned, just as he had the night before, long arms reaching for Dan and cuddling him close, and Dan let himself relax against the slow rise-and-fall of his chest. A drowsy sense of peace enveloped him along with the Alpha’s strong scent, and he fell into sleep thinking how much that scent reminded him of a warm, summery garden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! The next chapter should be up on Saturday. :)


	6. Weeks 2-5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil copes with Dan's departure.

The first week without Dan was pretty awful.

 

He’d woken on the morning of his fifth day in the Howell household to find himself all alone in his bed, though he had a strong memory of half-waking shortly before dawn to find the Omega curled against him. He’d felt a flush of fond feelings inside his chest, seeing him there. Dan had looked so vulnerable like that, almost like a sleeping child, and Phil had drifted back to sleep himself after pulling the Omega closer in a protective embrace.

 

Yet he’d woken to find his bed empty and full of Dan’s scent. He hadn’t thought much of it at first. Dan usually woke before he did and had disappeared before he woke on other occasions.

 

It wasn’t until he went down to breakfast and heard the other slaves discussing the fact that they’d been left without any of the family to care for that he even began to wonder where Dan might be.

 

“Omega Dan went somewhere?” he asked Sherry, a middle-aged Beta who helped clean the main house. He would have asked Tony, but the elderly Beta was nowhere around.

 

“Oh, yes, dear, he left for the airport not half an hour ago. Didn’t you know?” she asked, turning kind, pale eyes on him.

 

“The airport?” he repeated, dismay blossoming in his chest.

 

“He went to France with Omega Trenton,” Sherry elaborated with a sympathetic look. “Not to worry, though, he’ll be back before his next heat.” She reached over and patted him on the hand.

 

Before his next heat… That was at least three months away. Dan had abandoned him, had gone off to another country without so much as saying good-bye. Sure, yesterday had been awkward, but…but it had ended with Dan in Phil’s bed, so he’d thought— Well, he’d simply thought wrong. Phil hunched his shoulders and leaned closer to his plate, hoping no one could see the tears forming in his eyes. Of course. He’d always known that he was nothing but a shiny new toy for the Omega to play with, and just like any spoiled rich kid, Dan seemed to tire quickly of his toys.

 

“Excuse me,” Phil muttered, pushing his chair away from the table and leaving his half-eaten meal behind. He heard murmurs and clucks of sympathy from the other slaves as he dashed out of the room, but he didn’t turn to look at them. There were already tears spilling down his cheeks.

 

That first week dragged by at an agonizing pace. He had no official duties other than to serve Dan, and Dan wasn’t there. He very quickly discovered the laptop the Omega had left, but he didn’t know what else to do on the internet other than watch videos, check the news, or look up information he wanted to know. It wasn’t like he had any social media accounts or even email.

 

When Tony had returned from accompanying Omega Dan’s luggage to the airport, he’d stopped by Phil’s room and ignored his red, puffy eyes as he passed on Dan’s message.

 

“The Young Master says you are free to do as you wish in his absence,” Tony had said from where he stood just inside Phil’s doorway. As soon as he’d heard the knock on his door, Phil had sat up quickly from where he had flung himself on the bed. “He’s added money to your bank account, so if you’d like to go shopping or see a movie or go out to eat, you are welcome to do so. Of course, you must always return to the house in the evenings to take your dinner with us. You aren’t allowed out at night without supervision.”

 

“Yes, Beta Tony,” Phil had rasped out in a hoarse voice.

 

The Beta’s wrinkled face had softened then.

 

“He’ll be back in just a month. It’s not so long,” he’d said and then with a smile had stepped out and closed the door behind him.

 

Even with permission to leave, Phil had only dared go so far as the nearby park. Wandering around outside alone still felt somehow illicit, and he hated knowing that when people saw the insignia on his shirt, they would understand he was a slave. If people had ignored him before when he was only poor, now they stared right through him, as though he were not even there.

 

By the end of the week, the house slaves had taken pity on him and started allowing him to join in their chores. He guessed they’d grown tired of seeing him mope through the vegetable garden or linger at the lunch table.

 

Things were better the second week that Dan was gone. With work to do, Phil started to feel some of his old energy return, and even better, now that he was working side by side with the house slaves, he was getting to know them a little better. He’d strike up a conversation while drying dishes or pulling weeds in the garden, and little by little, he felt them beginning to warm to him.

 

By the end of that second week, Phil thought he was starting to settle in well to life here. He still felt sad at night when he lay down in his bed and felt how empty it was, but Dan’s scent had gone from him entirely by now, and it was easier not to think about him constantly.

 

On Friday evening, Phil was chatting with Laura as together they set the table for the slaves’ dinner when Beta Jonathan dashed through the door of the dining room, cheeks flushed with excitement.

 

“Alpha Leila has just returned!” he cried, and a flurry of excited conversation broke out among the slaves who had begun to gather there for their meal.

 

“Alpha Leila is the eldest Alpha of the Howell children,” Laura murmured to Phil when she saw the slight confusion on his face. “She is Alpha Howell’s heir.”

 

“Oh,” Phil said. He’d learned, shortly after discovering Dan’s abandonment, that all the rest of the family had already been away. He supposed that explained Dan’s eagerness to spend so much time with him, a mere slave. It was that realization that killed the last of his hope. There was no way Dan had ever thought of him as anything more than a convenient stand-in for other people.

 

It didn’t occur to him to wonder why he had ever hoped any differently.

 

He was in the kitchen helping clean up after lunch when an unfamiliar Beta slave strode in and stopped just inside the door. Phil glanced over at them with curiosity. They were shorter than he was — most people were — and had shoulder-length brown hair.

 

The Beta cast a look around the room, and then their eyes met Phil’s. They paused, sniffed the air for a moment, and then walked over to him.

 

“Are you Omega Chesterworth’s new Alpha slave?” they asked.

 

“Yes,” Phil replied, a flutter of nervousness tickling his insides. “My name is Phil.”

 

The Beta flashed him a quick, no-nonsense smile.

 

“I’m Alex, Alpha Leila’s body slave,” they said. “My mistress wants to see you.”

 

Phil cast a panicked glance at Beta Laura, who was washing dishes beside him, but she returned his look with a reassuring smile. He drew a deep breath.

 

“Just let me dry my hands really quickly,” he told the new Beta.

 

A few minutes later, he was following Beta Alex out of the slave quarters and up a set of stairs he’d never used before, though he’d passed the foot of it several times. The stairs came out in a long, airy corridor with rows of rooms off either side and huge windows at either end.

 

“This way,” Beta Alex told him, leading him to one of the doors. They rapped firmly on it, and a voice on the other side called them to come in. 

 

When Beta Alex led Phil inside, he found himself in a sitting room not that different in size and layout from Dan’s, though it was very different in color scheme and level of mess. The curtains had been thrown wide to fill the entire room with bright sunlight, and there were clothes and half-unpacked suitcases piled here and there.

 

On the far side of the room, an Alpha was seated cross-legged on the carpeted floor in front of a huge TV, and she had turned toward the door. Phil could see the resemblance to Dan at once. Her hair fell in waves of dark brown down her back, and she had the same dark eyebrows and soft brown eyes. However, the way she held her head up and narrowed her eyes at him as though she owned him felt very different from how Dan looked at him.

 

“Thank you, Alex,” she said and then raised a finger and beckoned Phil over with a single, peremptory gesture. Alex bowed and walked over to one of the suitcases, and Phil guessed that they had been interrupted in the midst of unpacking for their mistress.

 

Phil, meanwhile, obeyed the Alpha’s summons and walked over to where she sat. He bowed very low to her.

 

“And your name is Phil?” she asked.

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied, still bowing.

 

“You can stand up straight now,” she ordered him. He looked up to find her still regarding him with that appraising look. “You’re pretty,” she said abruptly. Then she smiled, a smile just as lovely as Dan’s, if a little colder. “Dan must have loved you. He likes pretty people.”

 

Phil felt heat crawling up his cheeks, but he just offered a quick nod of acknowledgement. Alpha Leila was younger than Dan, about Phil’s age, he guessed. She was also very tan, and he remembered then that she had been on vacation on some tropical island.

 

“Do you know how to play Mario Kart?” she asked, pointing at the TV. That was when he first noticed the game menu displayed there and the console and controllers lying on the floor in front of Alpha Leila.

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” he nodded. He wasn’t that great at it, but the children of the house he’d grown up in had sometimes recruited him to play against them when they needed an extra.

 

“Perfect,” she grinned and patted the carpet beside her. “Alex and all of the other Betas always let me win,” she sighed as Phil sank down in the spot she’d indicated. “I suppose they can’t help it,” she mused, “but you’re an Alpha. I expect better from you.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Phil said.

 

She picked up the second controller and thrust it into his hands and then proceeded to talk at him while they each customized their carts, all about how much fun she’d had on her trip and how it was really too bad she’d had to come back so soon to start studying for her final year of college.

 

Then, in the middle of scrolling through the different tracks to decide which one she wanted to test him out on, she turned suddenly to him and asked,

 

“How is my brother? I hear he’s gone to France now, but…how was he before then?”

 

Phil turned to look at her, caught completely off guard.

 

“Um,” he said, trying to gather his thoughts, “he seemed lonely.”

 

Perhaps he shouldn't have been so honest, he worried almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He just hadn’t had time to think.

 

“Oh,” she said, her thick brows twitching together for a moment. “How so?”

 

“Well, there wasn’t anyone else in the house except for slaves,” Phil mumbled, his eyes dropping to the controller in his hands. “He had to make do with hanging out with me, I guess.”

 

“Hmm,” he heard her say. “I suppose that explains him suddenly going off like that with Claire.” After a pause, she added, “I’m just surprised he didn’t take you with him.”

 

She selected one of the tracks then, and the game began, and Phil was pretty sure she hadn’t even thought about whether what she’d said might hurt his feelings.

 

She finished the race in first place, while he finished sixth.

 

“Well,” she said, turning a smirk on him, “at least I can tell you aren’t _letting_ me win. You need practice, though.”

 

She proceeded to beat him another three times before he finally managed to come out ahead of her in the fifth race.

 

“Excellent!” she exclaimed, tossing her controller down and standing up. Phil set down his controller and jumped up, too. “You can come practice any time you like,” she said, grinning at him. There was a sparkle in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. “I’ll tell the house slaves to let you in if I’m out. It’s nice to have some real competition at last.”

 

Phil wanted to ask why she didn’t just play against people online, but it wasn’t his place to question a noble Alpha’s choices.

 

“Thank you, Ma’am,” he said, bowing.

 

She turned away then, wandering off into another room, and he supposed he had been dismissed.

 

The third week without Dan was even better than the second had been. Now he not only had chores to keep him busy and the other slaves to chat with, but he could also go up to Alpha Leila’s sitting room any time he liked and play any of the vast library of games she had. Sometimes she would call him up to play against her in Mario Kart or some other competitive game, and she would chat to him about her life. She never talked much about Dan, though, though he found himself wishing she would.

 

August came in the middle of the third week, and with it came the return of Alpha Howell from his business trip. The older Alpha’s presence had little effect on Phil’s life, as he was rarely in the house, and even when he was, there was never any reason for him to cross paths with Phil. The only effect Phil saw was a slight change in Alpha Leila’s demeanor.

 

On Thursday, she called him up to her sitting room, but instead of wanting to play a game with him, she just wanted him to sit with her while she watched some awful reality TV program and painted her nails.

 

“I could go to the salon and have them done,” she told him while holding out one hand to observe the effect of the sparkly blue polish she’d just painted on, “but I dunno, it’s kind of fun doing it myself.”

 

Phil nodded and tried to look like he understood. He’d never painted his nails or anyone else’s.

 

“And it’s no fun going to the salon without Dan,” she added, and Phil’s ears pricked up. She was still regarding her nails, but now her expression had turned thoughtful. “It was kind of our thing, you know?”

 

“Oh?” Phil said.

 

She sighed and picked up the bottle of polish to begin on her second hand.

 

“I wish he would come home already. The house is so boring without anyone here,” she grumbled, carefully brushing paint onto her right thumbnail. “Well, I suppose Dad’s around somewhere.” She made a disgusted face, “When he isn’t at _her_ house, that is.”

 

Phil bit his lips, hoping she would elaborate and explain who “her” referred to on her own, but then the Alpha let out an exclamation of annoyance.

 

“Ugh, I hate doing my right hand. Alex!” she called over her shoulder. The Beta appeared from the other room at once. “Come and paint my right hand for me.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” they said, kneeling beside her and taking the bottle of paint from her hand.

 

Phil had gotten to know Beta Alex a little bit better over the past few days. They were a few years older than Alpha Leila and had been her body servant since she was eleven and had been sent off to boarding school. From what the Alpha herself had told him, though, she’d rather hated boarding school and had demanded her Alpha Father let her come home for college.

 

Beta Alex had a room near Alpha Leila’s and always took their meals with her, when she was at home, so Phil hadn’t seen them down in the slave quarters almost at all.

 

“No, no, no, you’re making a mess of it!” the Alpha scolded her body slave then.

 

“My apologies,” they said, backing away and giving her a look.

 

“And don’t look at me like that,” she complained, though Phil thought he saw a smile around her lips. “Just do it right.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” they said and started cleaning up the polish they’d accidentally painted onto her cuticle.

 

“I’m just in a snippy mood,” the Alpha told her slave after a moment. “You I know I get like this when I have to think about _her_.”

 

“I know, Alpha Leila,” Alex replied, still bent over her nails in concentration.

 

She turned toward Phil then and seemed startled to find him there.

 

“Oh, right,” she said. “I guess you can go now, if you’d like.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Phil replied, hopping up at once and bowing himself out.

 

Alpha Leila was just like that, he was starting to realize, tossing her interest toward him as casually as she withdrew it again. He didn’t really mind, though. At least she was there, paying attention to him.

 

The fourth week without Dan was kind of bad again. Lots of Alpha Leila’s friends had come back from their own holiday excursions, and she was out most of the week catching up with them. There was also the matter of Dan’s return weighing on Phil’s mind. He didn’t know exactly when the Omega would be back, only that it was supposed to be sometime toward the end of this week.

 

He honestly didn’t know how he felt about it.

 

He could admit that he missed Dan, and it wasn’t simply a case of wanting a relief from boredom or loneliness. He’d struck up friendships with most of the house slaves by now, and Alpha Leila could be fun to hang out with too. It was just…he realized that spending time with Dan had been more fun than hanging out with her or anyone else he’d met here.

 

But he could also admit that he resented Dan. How could have just abandoned Phil like that, apparently without a second thought? And Phil hadn’t heard a single word from him since he’d left — no phone calls or messages sent to the house or even a postcard. Phil must be the furthest thing from his mind right now. Meanwhile, here Phil was worrying almost obsessively about Dan’s return every hour of every day.

 

On Friday night, Alpha Leila came home from some dinner outing with a gaggle of her Alpha friends in tow, and she summoned Phil to make up an even number for some board game they all wanted to play. The other Alphas didn’t seem quite to know what to do with him. They spoke politely to him but with a certain distance that made it plain they knew they were his superiors.

 

“And you belong to Omega Chesterworth?” one of them asked him, a stocky Alpha named Sergei. 

 

“Yes, Sir,” Phil said.

 

“Why aren’t you with him then?” the Alpha asked, head tilted to the side as though Phil were a worrying puzzle.

 

Phil opened his mouth, not sure what he was going to say, but another Alpha — Alessandra, he thought her name was — chimed in then.

 

“Well, if he’s already had his heat, what does he need an Alpha slave for at the moment?” Alpha Alessandra said, rolling her eyes as though this were the most obvious thing in the world.

 

“Oh, sure,” Alpha Sergei replied, but then later, when everyone else was engaged in conversation elsewhere, the Alpha leaned in to Phil and whispered, “So what was it like, eh, knotting an Omega in heat?”

 

It felt like Phil’s whole body blushed.

 

“Um,” he stuttered, “it was very…um, wet.”

 

_Wet???_ Oh god. Why had he chosen that word, of all the things he could have possibly said?

 

The other Alpha’s eye took on a certain gleam, and he leaned in even closer.

 

“Yeah, I’ll bet it was. Bet he moaned like a whore too,” he murmured.

 

Phil frowned.

 

“Um, I…I can’t really say.”

 

“Aw, come on,” Alpha Sergei said, “don’t be stingy. Everyone knows what kind of Omega he is already,” and he raised one blonde eyebrow suggestively.

 

Phil wasn't sure what came over him then, but a moment later, he found that he was on his feet, towering over Alpha Sergei and growling low in his throat. The other Alpha, unintimidated, responded by leaping to his own feet and meeting Phil eye for eye. He was just a shade shorter than Phil but a lot more muscular. If Phil had been in his right mind, he wouldn’t have dreamed of challenging him, but somehow at the moment all he could focus on was the red curtain of anger that had descended over his thoughts.

 

“Phil!” he heard Alpha Leila exclaim. She was using her Alpha voice, but even that didn’t make him flinch. “What are you doing?”

 

It took a great amount of self-control for Phil to force himself to back down, but somehow he managed it. He turned, bowing his head meekly to Dan’s sister.

 

“My apologies, Alpha Leila,” he murmured. “I’ll go now.”

 

“Yes, please do,” she returned, staring at him with narrowed eyes.

 

He turned and slunk out of the room at once, using every ounce of willpower he had to turn his back on Alpha Sergei, who still stood in an aggressive posture, ready for a fight. All of Phil’s Alpha instincts were urging him to go back, to put that nasty Alpha in his place. Instead, he stalked out into the corridor and down the stairs and into his own quarters.

 

He expected he would be disciplined for this, and sure enough, Alpha Leila summoned him to her rooms the next day, shortly before lunchtime.

 

She was still dressed in a robe and pajamas, and he guessed she’d only just gotten out of bed. Her sitting room showed signs that last night’s hang out had turned into something more like a party.

 

“So what was that all about last night?” she asked, peering up at him with bleary eyes from the love seat where she was sprawled. “I don’t want to have to report your behavior to my Alpha Father, but… What made you threaten one of my friends like that?”

 

Phil bit his lip. He didn’t want it to sound like he was making excuses. Certainly there was no excuse for a slave threatening a noble Alpha.

 

“Did Sergei say something?” Alpha Leila prompted him.

 

Phil nodded, begrudgingly.

 

“Tell me what he said,” the Alpha ordered.

 

“He said…” Phil had to stop and draw a deep breath as a quick anger rose in him again, “He, um, he wanted to know about Dan.” He paused. “During his heat, I mean.”

 

Alpha Leila’s eyes narrowed, but she just nodded for him to continue.

 

“He said that…um, that everyone knew what kind of Omega he was,” Phil mumbled, staring down at the floor.

 

“Oh,” came Alpha Leila’s voice. Then she fell silent. Phil tried his best not to fidget as he waited for her verdict.

 

“You called my brother by his name,” she said then.

 

His eyes widened, and his head jerked up in a panic. Had he? Oh shit, he had! How had he let himself slip up so badly? Now he would be punished for sure.

 

“I’m very sorry, Alpha Leila,” he said.

 

“Do you have feelings for Dan?” she asked, gazing up at him with a curious tilt to her head.

 

He shook his head at once. He certainly did not!

 

“No, Ma’am. I just…I didn’t like to hear my master insulted like that.”

 

She nodded slowly and then leaned back against the arm of the love seat.

 

“Fuck Sergei,” she muttered, throwing her head back to stare up at the ceiling. “I’ll fucking end him for that.”

 

Phil stood stock still, waiting, until Alpha Leila turned to look at him again.

 

“You can go now,” she said, waving a hand at him. “I won’t tell my dad about it after all.”

 

“Thank you, Alpha Leila,” Phil breathed out, bowing deeply.

 

She just waved her hand at him again, and he bowed himself out at once. Filled with relief, he rushed down the stairs to the kitchens, where he was just in time to help with the setting of the table for the slaves’ midday meal.

 

Lunch was nearly over when it dawned on him that Beta Tony had gone missing again, and his heart suddenly leapt into his throat. Dan was home. No one had told him or anything, but somehow he just knew.

 

It took a great deal of self-control to keep himself from rushing up to the Omega’s quarters at once. But it wasn’t his place to go where he hadn’t been summoned, and anyway, who was to say Dan was even interested in seeing him?

 

For once, he didn’t stay to help clean up after lunch but instead rushed to his own room and shoved the door open. His room was just as empty as it had been earlier. He hadn’t realized until he felt the disappointed drop in his stomach that he’d been expecting to see Dan there.

 

No matter. His master would send for him if he wanted him. He did his best not to dwell too much on that “if.” All afternoon he sat there and into the evening, leaving only to use the toilet and then, with a grudging sigh, to eat his dinner in the slaves’ dining room.

 

The disappointment came again when he returned from dinner and found his room still bare of anything but his own belongings and Dan’s laptop. He supposed, now that he thought of it, that nothing here was truly his belonging. It all belonged to the Howell family, himself included.

 

He went to bed at last when his eyelids began to droop of their own accord. He’d kept himself awake well beyond midnight, not allowing himself to admit he was hoping that somehow Dan would still show up. But he didn’t.

 

At 12:45, Phil brushed his teeth and put on his pajamas and turned off the lights. He’d gotten used to sleeping alone again. The bed didn’t feel so lonely as it had a few weeks before, or at least that was what he told himself.

 

His exhausted body fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

 

 

The bedroom door opened sometime shortly after 1:00 AM, but Phil was sleeping so deeply that even the Omega’s slight stumble didn’t stir him from his sleep. No, he didn’t wake until he felt himself being gently pushed toward the opposite side of his bed by a warm body snuggling itself in against his chest. Barely conscious, he reached out and drew the Omega close, feeling his warmth, his solidness, breathing deeply of his scent.

 

He jerked fully awake at once, eyes springing open. The Omega in his arms was definitely Dan, and he could still smell David on him quite clearly, the scent of their bond still strong even four months after his death. But there was another scent too, a sharp, unpleasant one, overlaid upon Dan’s usual bonded scent — the scent of another Alpha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter on Monday! >:)


	7. Weeks 2-5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All about Dan's trip to France. (Warnings: alcohol, sex, slight non-con, cheating?)

By the end of his second week in France, Dan had decided this trip was exactly what he’d needed. Alpha Trenton’s chateau was a renovated 18th-century stone building whose history Claire told Dan all about on the plane ride over and Dan immediately forgot once they had set foot inside. It was well-decorated and full of natural, late summer light, and that was all Dan cared about. The grounds were lovely too, with extensive gardens behind and wide, green lawns before.

 

It was near Paris as well, situated just a bit to the north and west — far enough to be in a serene, bucolic locale but close enough to have Claire’s driver take them into the city for a day of shopping or an evening show.

 

They kept their outings low key, their one small concession to their mourning status, but made them very frequently. To be honest, Dan would have preferred to stay home more often, but Claire loved going out, and in the first rush of excitement to finally be _free_ again, Dan decided to indulge her.

 

And then there was Édouard.

 

On their second night in the chateau, Claire told him casually that she’d invited a friend over for dinner, and when Dan descended the stairs that evening on his way to the formal dining room, he found at the foot of them a tall Beta with captivating amber-colored eyes.

 

“ _Bonsoir_ ,” Dan had said. “ _Est-ce que j’ai le plaisir de rencontrer l’ami de Claire?_ ”

 

“ _Mais oui!_ ” the Beta had replied with a blinding smile. _“Je m’appelle Édouard. Et toi?”_

 

“Dan,” he had said and held out his hand. Édouard had taken it and then startled Dan by drawing it to his lips and pressing a kiss to his fingers.

 

Édouard wasn’t exactly one of their sort, but he was the son of the nephew of somebody’s godson, and anyway, he was a Civil Engineer in a very prestigious firm and bought Dan wine and flowers and expensive dinners and never stopped flirting with him.

 

The great thing about Betas was that they were basically immune to Alpha and Omega pheromones. They had no pheromones of their own and half the time couldn’t even tell what Dan’s designation was without asking. Very rarely did he meet a Beta who knew he was bonded without someone telling them.

 

It was very clear that Édouard had no idea about Dan’s situation. He knew about David’s death, of course, being a friend of Claire’s. He asked her when she followed Dan down the stairs a few minutes later how she was, how the family was taking it, but it was only as an afterthought that he turned to Dan and asked if he’d known David too.

 

A simple “ _Oui_ ” was all Dan had given, and he’d gotten a few murmurs of sympathy in return. He liked it that way, though. For the first time in months, he had someone regarding him as something other than an object of pity.

 

On the cocktail-soaked evening in the second week of their stay when Dan at last beckoned the Beta up the stairs after him and the Beta eagerly followed him up to his bedroom, Dan intentionally left the lights off. There was moonlight from the window, but more importantly, he didn’t want Édouard to see his bonding mark and ask too many questions. He wanted to keep things simple, superficial — a summer fling and nothing more.

 

The Beta didn’t seem to mind but happily allowed himself to be pushed down on the bed and undressed with lazy fingers and caressed and sucked and ridden until they both were panting and Dan was spurting cum all over the Beta’s perfectly-toned and tanned stomach. And then he’d pulled Dan off and pulled his head down, and Dan had obligingly licked his own cum off the Beta’s sweat-salted skin and then let him fuck his mouth until he reached his climax and pulled out and shot his load of sticky cum all over Dan’s face.

 

Stretching in bed the next morning, Dan had felt satisfied in a way he hadn’t in ages. He’d sent Édouard away the night before, not much interested in having the sweaty Beta rolling around and keeping him awake all night.

 

Claire had raised her eyebrows at the two of them over brunch but had kept whatever thoughts she might have had to herself. And afterward, the Beta had taken Dan out sailing on the lake the chateau bordered and had given him more wine and food and then, once they’d dropped anchor out in the middle of the water, fucked him on the sunny deck of the sailboat.

 

By the end of the third week, though, Dan had begun to suspect that he’d made a mistake. Édouard had started to look hurt when Dan sent him out of the room after sex, and the way he acted when they were out in public together, holding Dan to his side, taking his hand, placing kisses on his hair, made Dan worry that the Beta was getting the entirely wrong idea about what was going on between them.

 

His suspicions were confirmed a few days later when, after Dan had pushed the Beta up against the wall of his bedroom and started kissing his way down his neck and chest, Édouard had stopped him and asked if he was really going to leave him behind in less than a week.

 

“ _Bien sûr_ ,” Dan had said. _Of course._ They’d both known from the beginning that this little dalliance of theirs had an expiration date. But then the Beta had gotten all teary-eyed, telling Dan how much he would miss him, how his life would be barren without the Omega there, and Dan had lost both his hard-on and his interest in ever fucking this man again.

 

He’d been diplomatic about it at least, explaining that he’d never wanted anything more than sex. Édouard had stormed out, but he’d come back the next evening, bouquet of white roses in hand that he called _un_ _gage de réconciliation_ , a peace offering. He’d seemed less peaceful when Dan had politely turned down his offer of sex after dinner, but he’d stayed and had an extra glass of wine with Dan and Claire before making himself scarce again.

 

“Hmm,” Claire had said, smirking at him through the haze of her after-dinner cigarette.

 

“Don’t say a fucking thing,” Dan had muttered, rolling his eyes.

 

She’d giggled and then reached over and patted him on the knee.

 

“All I’ll say,” she told him, “is that it’s good to see you getting back to your old self again.”

 

“Oh, shut up,” he’d muttered, elbowing her in the side, but he couldn’t suppress a small smile. This was exactly the sort of thing that always used to happen to him, back before he got married.

 

“Let’s go out one more time before we go home,” Claire had said all of a sudden. “Like really go out, get shit-faced, dance in a club, maybe take a stranger home—“

 

“I don’t know…” Dan had hedged. They’d been pretty lax about obeying the rules of his mourning here, but he was pretty sure that would be taking things a step too far.

 

“Oh, come on. You and I both know David would have just laughed at all these strict rules they try to hold you to,” Claire had wheedled, turning her big, brown eyes into twin pools of pleading. “It’ll be just once. Just our little secret.”

 

And after a few more minutes of cajoling, Dan had finally given in. She was certainly right that David wouldn’t have really cared, if he were still alive. The only rules he’d ever given Dan were that he must be discreet and must always come home to his Alpha, eventually.

 

On their last night in France, Claire and Dan had had their driver take them into the city, where they’d gotten tipsy over a lavish dinner and then grown progressively more drunk as they passed through a series of ever-flashier nightclubs. It was at the third nightclub that Claire looked up from her phone and slurred into his ear, “Édouard’s coming to join us, when we get to the next club.”

 

“What?” Dan had whined. “Nooo.”

 

“Da-an,” she’d whined back. “He’s my friend, and this is my last night here.”

 

“Ugghhhh,” Dan had let out an exaggerated sigh, but he’d relented. Just because their little fling was over didn’t mean that they couldn’t be civil to one another on a night out.

 

He couldn’t have been more mistaken.

 

The moment Dan stumbled into the fourth club behind Claire, Édouard was on him, arm around his waist, lips finding his cheeks and then his fingers, and when Dan went to move away again, the Beta just held on more tightly and suggested they dance together. Dan desperately tried to catch Claire’s eye and get her to take charge of Édouard, but she had made a beeline for the bar, ready for yet more alcohol, apparently.

 

So, Dan had no choice but to let the Beta pull him out onto the dance floor, where he held him trapped inside the circle of his arms and tried to stare deeply into Dan’s eyes the entire time they were dancing.

 

The moment Claire joined them, though, Dan broke free and slipped away into the crowd. He’d give Claire a chance to say her good-byes and then find them again and drag her away somewhere that didn’t include Édouard.

 

Or so he had planned, but no sooner had he found a friendly-looking group to dance with than he caught sight of the persistent Beta wending his way over toward him. Desperate to make his point that he just _didn’t_ want to be with him, Dan cast frantic eyes about and caught sight of a very drunk Alpha eyeing him up appreciatively from just a few feet away. Biting his lips and coyly lowering his eyes, Dan beckoned the Alpha closer with a tilt of his head.

 

The Alpha didn’t need to be asked twice. They nearly tripped over their feet rushing to Dan’s side. Dan felt rough hands take hold of his hips, pulling him close against the strange Alpha’s body, and then they were grinding against him, pushing their crotch into his so he could feel how hard they were starting to get. He might have been alarmed when they bent to start whispering into his ear how sexy he looked and how they wanted to fuck him in the bathrooms, but he was only half-paying attention to them, too focused on trying to see how Édouard was reacting.

 

Then all of a sudden, he felt the Alpha’s face rubbing all over his neck and their scent spilling over him, and too late he realized what they were doing — scenting him, marking him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, it dawned on him that they must be so drunk they hadn’t even noticed he was bonded.

 

“What the fuck—“ Dan began, trying to push the Alpha away, but then Édouard was there, yanking the Alpha off of him and yelling in their face, and a moment later there was punching and blood, and all Dan could do was close his eyes and hide his face in his hands and wonder where he had gone so wrong.

 

**

 

When he woke the next morning, he felt absolutely disgusting. He’d showered twice before finally going to bed, but he still stank to high heaven of the strange Alpha from the night before. Now, sober, he realized how utterly unappetizing their scent was, like milk that was just about to go off. 

 

And he’d let someone who smelled like that scent him.

 

Worse, there was the issue of Édouard. Lying in his bed in the stark light of morning, he let himself step back and think about how he’d treated the Beta.

 

He’d used him. If he was really honest with himself, that’s what he’d done. He’d used him for sex and comfort and as a form of distraction from the unhappy parts of his life, and maybe he’d never promised the Beta a relationship, but he’d also never been very clear about his lack of interest in one. 

 

Édouard had gotten his pretty nose broken for Dan last night, and Dan was painfully aware of how little he deserved it. They’d had to rush him to a late-night emergency clinic to have his nose looked at, and all the while, the Beta had just grinned and said how happy he was that he could protect Dan.

 

To top it all off, he was hungover. At least their flight wasn’t until 4:00 PM. He had time to nurse himself back to health before he had to be in the air.

 

He made it downstairs for lunch, where he found Claire looking nearly as rough as he did.

 

She wrinkled her nose when he sat himself across from her in the breakfast nook where they usually took their daytime meals.

 

“I know, I know,” he muttered. “I stink like Alpha. Again.”

 

Her expression softened, and she leaned across the table toward him.

 

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said.

 

He snorted.

 

“I practically threw myself at some drunk stranger. What did I expect to happen?” Dan muttered back, lifting his spoon and trying to convince himself to take a bite of the cold soup in front of him.

 

“Hey,” Claire said, reaching out and grabbing his free hand. “That still doesn’t make it your fault. Inviting them to dance with you didn’t give them permission to scent you. They were the one who took it too far. Okay?”

 

Dan nodded. He knew she was right, but that didn’t change the fact he felt like shit. Smelled like it too.

 

He let out a long, shaky sigh.

 

“Can’t I just, like, stay here and hide until the smell wears off?”

 

She gave an apologetic wince.

 

“I’m sorry, love. My heat is coming in a few days, and—“

 

“I know,” Dan said, raising his spoon to his lips at last. “I’d rather be back at home anyway. I can hide in my rooms there just as easily.”

 

“It’ll only be a few days,” Claire assured him, patting him before withdrawing her hand and starting in on her own meal.

 

He didn’t say out loud what really worried him about going home — the fact that there was an Alpha waiting for him there who would surely wonder why he’d come home smelling like someone else.

 

But that was silly. Phil was just his slave, and it wasn’t like they had that sort of relationship anyway, even if Phil had scented him that one time…even if he’d replayed the memory of that moment over again in his mind a hundred times since he’d come here. Sometimes even when he’d been with Édouard and needed a little inspiration to keep on going, he’d think of that afternoon on his bed, the way Phil had held him down and rubbed his scent into Dan’s skin.

 

Even now, sitting at lunch miles and miles away in France, he could almost feel the Alpha’s touch again. The memory made him shiver.

 

Still, it hadn’t been anything more than a young Alpha reacting to heat hormones. Surely it couldn’t matter that much to Phil even if Dan came home smelling like ten other Alphas.

 

The trip home was short but tiring. He couldn’t shake the paranoid feeling that every Alpha or Omega he crossed paths with was smelling the two separate Alpha scents on him and thinking how disgusting he was — a bonded Omega who’d let another Alpha scent them. The thought didn’t strike him until he was nearly home that when he’d left for France he’d had Phil’s scent all over him and hadn’t worried once what people might think.

 

When the car pulled up outside his family’s home, he bit his lip, hunched his shoulders and dashed inside as quickly and discreetly as he could. Tony was standing just inside the front doorway, but Dan tossed him the barest of greetings before fleeing upstairs and to his own quarters.

 

Once there, he stripped naked and jumped immediately into the shower. He stayed there for nearly an hour, scrubbing his skin until it was raw and red.

 

Even when he’d dried off and put on clean clothes, though, he could still quite clearly smell that awful scent on his skin.

 

It turned his stomach, and not just because of how disgusting it was. Every time he smelled it, his mind took him back to that moment on the dance floor, with the horny, stumbling Alpha digging their fingers into his hip and grinding their erection against him. He couldn’t even remember their face or what color their hair was, but he could still feel every inch of their body.

 

He crawled under his covers and pulled them all the way over his head, wishing that action could make him disappear from the earth as easily as it made him disappear from sight.

 

He wasn’t destined to hide there for long.

 

A short while later, someone knocked on his door, and when he called for them to enter, he heard the shuffling of footsteps and peeped out to see who it was.

 

“What are you hiding from, loser?”

 

His younger Alpha sister, Leila, was stood there at the foot of his bed staring down at him with an unimpressed expression.

 

“Your ugly face,” he returned and pulled the duvet over his head again. “What do you want?” he said from under the covers.

 

“What’s wrong?” Her tone had turned more serious. He heard her footsteps coming closer and panicked.

 

“Stay away!” he yelled, still under his covers.

 

He heard her footsteps pause.

 

“Dan,” she said, her voice very low now. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to you?”

 

“It’s none of your business,” he snapped. “Now did you need something or not?”

 

“Dan, I—“ She stopped speaking, and Dan knew she’d caught the Alpha’s scent on him. There was a pause, and then he heard her growl, “Who scented you?”

 

“It was nobody,” he muttered, peeking his head out again now that the proverbial beans had been spilled. “Just some drunk Alpha in a club.”

 

She was a couple of paces nearer than she had been before, with her eyebrows drawn together in a thunderous expression and her body tensed defensively. He knew her Alpha instincts were readying her for a fight.

 

“What did they do to you?” she demanded, taking a step closer to him. “Are you hurt?”

 

“I’m fine,” Dan said, staring down at her shoes as he couldn’t make himself meet her eyes. “I was just dancing with them and they grabbed me and scented me.”

 

He glanced up and saw that her tense posture had relaxed a little.

 

“You’re sure that’s all they did to you?” she asked, eyes still narrowed.

 

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he said. “Really, Leila, did you come here for something or just to interrogate me?”

 

She crossed her arms and tilted her head back so that she could stare down the entire length of her nose at him.

 

“I’m your Alpha sister. It’s my job to protect you,” she snapped. “And I came here because it’s been ages since I’ve seen you and I wanted to catch up. But if you’re just going to be in a strop with me—“

 

He sighed and pushed his covers down more so she could see him properly. Out of all his siblings, she was the closest in age to him, and he’d always felt closer to her than the others. They fought a lot, but she was also the only one of his siblings he really felt he could talk to.

 

“I’m not upset with _you_ ,” Dan said, sitting up. “I’m just miserable because… I was only dancing with that Alpha to piss off someone else and then they scented me and rubbed themselves all over me and it was really gross and now I smell like shit.”

 

Leila uncrossed her arms and plunked down on the edge of his bed.

 

“What were you doing in a club anyway? I thought you just went to spend a few weeks at Claire’s chateau. At least, that’s what the house slaves told me you were doing.”

 

Dan jerked one shoulder up in a shrug.

 

“Claire wanted to go out, and it was supposed to just be, you know, one night off from this whole mourning thing.” He lifted a hand and ran his fingers through his hair. _Just our little secret,_ Claire had said. Hilarious.

 

“Well, I’m sorry it went so badly,” Leila said. Then something seemed to occur to her suddenly, and she made a face. “Just don’t go anywhere near Phil smelling like that,” she said, raising her eyebrows.

 

That made Dan straighten up in surprise.

 

“You’ve met Phil? Have you been talking to him about me or something?” he demanded.

 

She shook her head.

 

“Not really, but I made him come upstairs and keep me company sometimes while all my friends were still away on holiday. He seems sweet,” she added.

 

Dan shrugged and played with a loose thread at the edge of his duvet cover. He wasn’t really planning on seeing Phil until the smell of the other Alpha went away anyway, but it made him curious to hear Leila warning him away.

 

“What do you think would happen if I did call him up here right now?” Dan asked, keeping his eyes on the thread his fingers were twirling.

 

“That would be very cruel of you,” Leila said, her tone cold. “Take it from an Alpha.”

 

She might be right, but Dan didn’t really think so. Like everyone else, she was probably working from the assumption that he and Phil had had sex, that he was more to Phil than just an Omega he’d been bought to serve.

 

“I won’t anyway,” he told her.

 

“Good,” she said. “Now tell me all about France.”

 

She stayed and talked with him for more than an hour, and once she had left, he kept his word. No matter how badly he wished that he could call Phil up to his room that afternoon to watch more anime with him or play a game or even just to talk, he resisted. It was maddening, though, after his month of freedom, to once again be locked away in this dreary room with no more company than his thoughts.

 

Once dinnertime had come and gone, he managed to distract himself with a serious Wikipedia spiral until it was time for bed. But no matter which position he lay in or how much he fluffed his pillows, he just couldn’t seem to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. The nauseating scent of the Alpha lingered all around him, and with nothing to distract him, his mind once again dwelled on it and on his memory of that disastrous night.

 

Finally, sometime past midnight, he flung off his covers and made a decision. He knew exactly where he could go to get a full, peaceful night’s sleep, and Phil couldn’t get upset about how he smelled in his sleep, right? He would slip in and slip out again without the Alpha ever noticing. And, hey, maybe some of Phil’s scent would rub off on him and dilute the awful scent of that other Alpha.

 

With this hopeful thought in mind, he sneaked along the now very familiar path down the stairs and to Phil’s quarters. His stupid feet got tangled up in each other and he stumbled a bit as he made his way over to Phil’s bed, but the Alpha didn’t stir, so he slid into bed beside him and cuddled up close, and just as he knew would happen, he dropped quickly into an exhausted sleep.

 

**

 

In the morning, Dan woke to find himself alone in the Alpha’s narrow bed. The sun wasn’t even up yet, though the room was light enough to let him know that it soon would be.

 

He sat up, casting a frantic look about and then caught sight of Phil curled up on the carpet beside the bed, fast asleep.

 

Dan’s heart clenched in his chest and his throat closed up at once. He lay back against the pillows that smelled so wonderfully of Phil’s soothing scent and let the tears begin to fall silently down his cheeks.

 

So. He’d managed to fuck things up yet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who is reading this story! You're all the reason I've been able to keep writing. Next chapter on Wednesday!


	8. Week 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout...

Phil could hear Dan sniffling and trying to be quiet as he lay on the bed crying. He really wished the Omega would just leave. He didn’t want to have to deal with any of this.

 

When he’d realized what that new scent on Dan was, he’d been filled with a rage so searing he’d lost all ability to think for several seconds. He’d wanted to throw the Omega out of his bed, demand to know who he’d let scent him, find them, and make them pay. He’d never done a violent thing in his life, yet for the second time in as many days, he’d found himself ready and willing to do serious damage to another Alpha.

 

But he had no right to demand anything of Dan, and at the same time Dan had every right to do anything he wanted with anyone he wanted.

 

There had been nothing else for Phil to do but to give up his own bed to the Omega he couldn’t stand to be beside and slink down to try to sleep on the floor. He didn’t even have an extra blanket or pillow he could take with him to make it more comfortable, but in the end it didn’t matter. He hadn’t slept a wink.

 

He heard the exact moment that Dan woke, heard him shuffle over to the side of the bed to see him. And then he’d heard the tears start.

 

_Why are_ you _crying?_ he wanted to yell. What did the noble Omega Chesterworth have to cry about this morning? He had everything he wanted, didn’t he? Money, trips abroad any time he liked, some other Alpha in France, and Phil back here in England, patiently waiting for him like a good slave. After a month away, he’d climbed right back into Phil’s bed like nothing had happened at all. Did he not realize how awful he’d made Phil feel, abandoning him like that, or did he simply not care?

 

And he was still here. For some reason, Dan was still here, lying in Phil’s bed so that Phil had to keep pretending to be asleep and unaware when all he wanted was to get up and go to the toilet and wash his face and try to start his day.

 

He let out a huff of annoyance. The sounds from the bed abruptly stopped.

 

“Phil?” came the Omega’s querulous voice. “Are you awake?”

 

At the sound of Dan’s voice, something inside Phil seemed to snap. He leapt to his feet, glaring down at the Omega with hands balled into fists at his sides.

 

“Why are you still here?” he demanded through clenched teeth. “I think you should leave.”

 

Dan’s red-rimmed eyes grew wide, and he lay stock still staring up at Phil without moving or saying anything.

 

“Why are you here?” Phil repeated, desperate to just make him _go away_.

 

He saw the Omega’s throat convulse and his mouth open, but for a moment nothing came out. Phil noticed then that he was trembling all over. He’d frightened him.

 

With an effort, he relaxed his hunched shoulders and released his hands from their fists. No matter how badly Dan was behaving, Phil didn’t want to be the kind of Alpha who frightened and intimidated Omegas when he was mad.

 

“Is there something I can help you with?” he asked in a calmer tone. Phil thought he would be willing to do just about anything right now if it would get Dan to leave. Now that he was standing, he could strongly smell the Omega’s scent again, and it was making his blood boil and his skin crawl.

 

“I…I just wanted to see you,” Dan squeaked at last.

 

He had pulled Phil’s duvet halfway up his chest, and his soft hair was spread messily across Phil’s pillow. His face looked pale and woebegone, like a child who knows he’s angered his parents.

 

Phil’s gaze dropped to the floor. He couldn’t stand to look at him. _Wanted to see him?_ Suddenly, after an entire month, Phil mattered to him again?

 

“Okay,” Phil muttered. “You’ve seen me. Is there anything else?”

 

With his gaze still fixed on the floor, he had no idea what expression Dan was making. Finally, he heard the Omega speak again.

 

“Are you angry because another Alpha scented me?” His voice was very quiet, chastened.

 

Phil’s head snapped up, and at last the flood gates burst.

 

“I’m angry because you abandoned me for a month without so much as a good-bye, and for a whole month I hear nothing at all from you, not even a message to let me know you arrived safely, and then suddenly last night you just show up here again in my bed smelling like another Alpha? With no explanation or greeting or…anything. How can you not know why I’m angry?” 

 

He was so infuriated that his voice shook, and he could barely get out the last few words. Dan’s face had shown shock at first and then it had crumpled into another round of sobs. When Phil finished his little tirade, the only sounds in the room were his own heavy breathing and Dan’s choked cries.

 

It was obvious Dan wasn’t going to be capable of replying for a long time. Frustrated and desperate to be away from Dan’s maddening scent, Phil spun on his heel and stalked over to the door, flinging it open and then slamming it behind him. Let Dan sort himself out while Phil cooled off in the bathroom. Maybe he would get lucky and Dan would be gone when he got back.

 

He wasn’t, though. He was still lying there on Phil’s pillow with Phil’s duvet wrapped around him. He seemed much calmer now, with only the faintest trace of moisture leaking from each eye. He turned to look at Phil as soon as he walked back in. Phil did his best to hide his annoyance.

 

“I’ll go,” Dan told him, his voice completely colorless. “Just… Can I ask just one favor of you?”

 

Phil closed the door but didn’t walk any further into the room.

 

“Okay,” he said.

 

Dan drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

 

“Will you…will you please scent me again?” His voice quavered but retained its strict monotone.

 

Phil blinked.

 

“You…you want me to scent you?” He was too confused by the request to be angered by it. The trip to the bathroom had helped to clear his head a bit too, along with the cold water he’d splashed on his face.

 

“Please,” Dan said, not opening his eyes. “I just…don’t want to smell like _them_ anymore.”

 

Phil found the anger mounting within him again but for an entirely different reason now. The thought hadn’t even occurred to him until then that Dan might not have _wanted_ to be scented by the other Alpha.

 

_Oh no_ , Phil thought. What if something awful had happened to Dan, and here he was yelling at him and making him cry?

 

“What happened?” he asked, keeping his voice as soft as he could. He took a step toward the bed.

 

Dan shook his head, eyes still tightly closed.

 

“It was all my fault,” he moaned. “We shouldn’t have even been at the club in the first place, but Claire wanted to… I guess I wanted to go too.” He hiccuped at the end of the sentence and then let out a shaky laugh. “Don’t feel sorry for me. You’re absolutely right. I’ve behaved like an absolute piece of shit.”

 

Phil walked over to the bed now, though being so near Dan and that horrible scent made him want to punch something.

 

“What happened?” he repeated. “I promise I won’t yell at you again. I’m sorry I did.”

 

“No,” Dan said, raising an arm to lay it across his eyes. “I deserved it. I should’ve told you I was leaving. I should’ve— I thought I should give you some space, but I should’ve at least told you. I was— I mean, I guess I’ve always been kind of selfish.”

 

Phil couldn’t disagree with that, but for the moment he didn’t care. He just needed to know what that fucking Alpha had done to Dan.

 

“Dan…are you okay? Did they hurt you or…or anything?”

 

“I’m fine,” Dan muttered. “They just scented me. That’s all. And then someone else pulled them off me, and that was that.”

 

Phil chewed on his lower lip, trying to decide if Dan was telling him the whole truth or if he was hiding something. Had that really been all?

 

“You’re sure you’re okay?” He had to be sure. If something bad had happened to Dan, and he never knew about it… Somehow the thought of that sent a chill up his spine.

 

Dan dropped the arm over his eyes and looked up at Phil at last. It looked like his tears had stopped, though his cheeks were still streaked with their shiny tracks. His eyes looked clear enough, if rather bleak.

 

“I promise, that’s all they did to me,” he said.

 

Phil nodded. He supposed being grabbed and scented by a random Alpha in a club was horrible enough. Dan must have been feeling pretty crappy already. He must have come here for comfort, and instead Phil had left him alone in bed and then yelled at him. Even if it was wrong of Dan to just abandon him like he had, he couldn’t help feeling guilty for how he’d treated the Omega this morning.

 

Giving Dan a quick nod of acknowledgment, Phil walked around to the other side of the bed, lifted the duvet and crawled underneath. Dan didn’t move or respond in any way. He just lay where he was, staring up at the ceiling.

 

Phil turned on his side to face him.

 

“Dan?” he said. “Do you still, um, want me to scent you?”

 

Dan turned his face away but nodded.

 

“Please,” he whispered.

 

Phil swallowed and then held his breath. He thought if he had to smell that other Alpha’s scent close up, he might actually be sick. He scooted over as near as he could to Dan, curling an arm over him, and then he lowered his face to Dan’s neck, rubbing his nose lightly against his skin at first and then more firmly. It wasn’t anything like the last time. He thought it must be because he couldn’t really smell Dan right now. Last time, he’d barely been able to control himself, overwhelmed by the Omega’s hormones. This time, he felt…good, definitely. There was something deeply satisfying about knowing he was covering up the other Alpha’s scent with his own, and Dan’s body was so warm and soft beneath him. But…there wasn’t that all-consuming urge to take and to claim that he’d felt before.

 

He heard Dan make a small, choked sound and realized he’d started to cry again. Phil pulled away, rolling out of bed and standing to gulp in a deep breath. The air smelled a bit better now, mostly just like him and Dan, with only a slight undercurrent of that other Alpha’s scent.

 

“Thank you,” he heard Dan whisper. Then there were rustling sounds, and he looked over to see Dan pushing down the duvet and getting up at last.

 

He considered stopping him, telling him not to go, but he didn’t know whether he truly wanted Dan to stay or not. Everything inside him felt so jumbled up and complicated. Maybe it would best if Dan simply left. Maybe if Dan weren’t here right now it would be easier to sort out everything that had just happened.

 

The Omega stopped near the door and looked back at him. His face was still very pale, with red blotches here and there. Somehow he still looked kind of beautiful.

 

“I’m sorry, Phil. I know I really fucked up this time,” he murmured.

 

Phil opened his mouth, ready to tell him it was okay, that he was forgiven, but the words stuck in his throat. He cleared it.

 

“Maybe we can go to see a movie again sometime soon,” he said instead, “Or something.”

 

Dan nodded. Phil thought he saw the corners of his lips lift just a smidgeon. And then he opened the door and left.

 

 

 

He didn’t see Dan for all the rest of that day nor for several days afterward.

 

When he went in to breakfast, he found the house slaves all abuzz with the anticipated return of the rest of the Howell family. Beta Elizabeth, Dan’s second oldest sister, would be arriving on Monday. She was, according to what Alpha Leila had told him, an aspiring marine biologist and had spent the summer at a camp observing marine life along the coast of Patagonia.

 

Phil couldn’t remember quite where Patagonia was. Southeast Asia, maybe? Or was it Australia? Geography had never been his strongest subject, and it had been two years since he’d been forced to leave school. It kind of sucked, actually. He’d been so close to completing his GCSEs. But that didn’t bear dwelling on.

 

Apparently Beta Elizabeth’s arrival would be shortly followed by the return of Omega Howell and the two youngest Howell children, Beta Neal and Alpha Rory, so that the entire family would be together in one place for the first time in almost three months — assuming Alpha Howell didn’t suddenly go off on one of his business trips again, Beta Tony murmured in Phil’s ear as they stood up from lunch.

 

He spent that afternoon in Alpha Leila’s quarters with Beta Alex while the Alpha was out somewhere with her friends again, and the Beta let drop that they’d heard Alpha Howell had called Dan to see him. The word among the house slaves was that the head of the family was none too pleased about the Young Master taking an excursion to France in the midst of his mourning.

 

Phil worried what might happen to Dan when his Alpha Father caught a whiff of a strange Alpha on him. Would he get in trouble? Phil could only hope that his own scent masked the other Alpha’s enough that Alpha Howell wouldn’t notice it.

 

He lay awake late again that night, expecting Dan to come at any moment, begging to be held and comforted. Phil had decided that, if asked, he would let Dan sleep with him. It was his duty after all.

 

But Dan never came.

 

So Phil spent Monday morning helping Laura prepare Beta Elizabeth’s favorite chicken curry for lunch, and he spent most of the day on Tuesday helping Sherry air Omega Howell’s quarters in preparation for her return to them. The rooms were sumptuously decorated in shades of cream and pale pink, and, in Phil’s opinion, a little overcrowded with knick knacks and souvenirs. He guessed she must have traveled to quite a lot of places, and he couldn’t help wondering what sort of person she might be.

 

Not that he was likely to ever see her. With more of the family around, he stayed far away from anywhere they might be, including Alpha Leila’s quarters. He dreaded the idea of running into one of them and having to explain what he thought he was doing there.

 

And, of course, Dan never summoned him.

 

It must be because he was busy catching up with his family, Phil guessed — or rather hoped. And there was some evidence to support this explanation. Beta Alex had started to take some of their meals downstairs in the slave quarters, a sure sign that Alpha Leila was either dining out or with her family. Phil decided to assume the latter. As soon as the family had settled once more into its normal routines, Dan would call for him again, he was sure.

 

**

 

Dan, meanwhile, was doing his best to avoid his family.

 

After a thorough scolding from his Alpha Father — who had turned practically purple in the face when he’d caught Dan’s scent — Dan had been confined to his quarters as a punishment for his ill-advised jaunt to France. Didn’t he know that people judged the family by his actions? What if he’d been seen? What would people think of an Omega, only four months widowed, out throwing himself at strange Alphas in nightclubs?

 

Dan had nodded and bowed his head and murmured his contrition.

 

“And I can’t believe you tried to cover it up by having your Alpha slave scent you,” his dad had yelled at him. “Did you think I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference?”

 

“No, Father,” Dan had said. “I didn’t know you were going to call me in to speak to you. I just didn’t want to smell like that Alpha anymore.”

 

“Hmph,” his Father had replied, and Dan had known he didn’t believe him. “I could take him back, you know, if you’re going to be out sniffing around for other Alphas anyway.”

 

Dan’s entire face had drained of color.

 

“I wasn’t sniffing around for other Alphas,” he’d said in a barely audible voice.

 

His Father had only raised an eyebrow and then told him he wasn’t to leave his quarters until further notice. Dan had been on the verge of arguing this. He was a grown man, for Christ’s sake, and it wasn’t like he was living here because he had to. But he’d decided to let it go. Phil did still technically belong to his Alpha Father, and he worried that he might follow through on his threat to take him away if Dan made him angry enough.

 

So Dan had hid in his rooms, afraid to come out but also a little glad that he didn’t have to deal with all the havoc and noise he knew his Omega Mother and little brothers would bring in their wake. He didn’t feel up to their boisterousness or the impertinent questions he knew they’d ask, especially his mum.

 

His younger Beta sister did come and visit him, and that was all right. She was gushing with stories of her summer and all the animals she’d seen and how pretty the Patagonian winter had been. Elizabeth didn’t like people all that much, but she did love animals and gloomy weather. And she liked her elder brother, who indulged her disjointed rambling despite the fact that he was all grown up and she was only fourteen. He guessed Leila had listened for all of three minutes before beginning to talk over her. Leila had very little patience for their younger sister’s eccentricities.

 

“Anyway, how was France?” Elizabeth finally thought to ask after nearly an hour of filling his ears with her stories of the summer. “I hear Dad was really mad at you for going.”

 

Dan shrugged. The two of them were in his sitting room, perched either side of the window seat with the dark curtains drawn aside to let some sunlight in for once.

 

“I had a good time with Claire and her friends,” he said. “I just got tired of being in here all day every day,” he added, waving a hand around at the gloomy decor.

 

“Well if Claire went I don’t see how Dad could really think it was that bad,” she responded, wrinkling her forehead. She had lighter hair than either he or Leila. It was closer to the color his had been as a small child. She wore it very short, and she reached up to brush a flyaway strand from her face as she said, “I mean, David was her brother. She can’t be mourning any less than you are.”

 

Dan felt a pang at that. Elizabeth was kindhearted but not exactly tactful. He could only be thankful that, as a Beta, she had no clue what he smelled like right now. Her sense of smell was so weak, in fact, that she had to be told whether someone was an Alpha, Beta or Omega.

 

“Our Father had his reasons for being angry,” Dan said, and Elizabeth was at least perceptive enough not to ask him to elaborate.

 

Of course, being trapped in his quarters ultimately made it impossible for him to escape seeing his Omega Mother. She came to see him on Thursday morning, moving in a cloud of heavy perfume that couldn’t quite hide the fresh scent of Alpha on her. It was an open secret in their family that Omega Howell kept a separate flat where a pretty, young Alpha waited for her, while Alpha Howell kept a separate flat with a pretty, young Omega. Dan had never met either of his parents’ lovers, but from what people had whispered in his ear, neither was much older than he himself was.

 

“My darling, how are you?” his mother asked as soon as he’d called for her to enter his sitting room. “Your Father told me all about your little escapade. How naughty of you!”

 

He smiled at her and did his best not to roll his eyes as she drifted over and placed kisses on both of his cheeks. She loved making everything sound at least ten times more dramatic than it actually was, but at the same time she never took anything seriously enough.

 

“I’m all right,” Dan said. “Bored, though.”

 

She drew back and looked at him as though he’d just said the most ridiculous thing in the world. She had over-styled her eyebrows, he thought. She’d colored them far too dark for her pale skin tone, and tweezered them far too thin.

 

“If you’re bored, why not bring your new Alpha slave up here. From what the house slaves tell me, he is very handsome.” She raised one narrow eyebrow and pursed her lips at him. If anyone else had told him something like that, he might have blushed. With his mother, he just let out a long-suffering sigh.

 

“Phil doesn’t want to be cooped up in the Widow’s Suite with me all day, Mum,” he said, trying to sound firm. It was sort of true that that was why he hadn’t called for Phil — that and he was just too much of a coward to face him right now. “I’ll send for him when I need him.”

 

She shook her head and made a despairing sound.

 

“I’ll have a talk with your Father,” she said significantly. “It’s not good for you to be wasting away in a room like this while you’re still so young and beautiful. You should be out, enjoying life, meeting potential new mates!”

 

“Mum,” he groaned, finally giving in and rolling his eyes. “No one’s going to see me as a potential mate while I’m still bonded to my last one.”

 

A bright trill of laughter poured from her throat, and she shook out her long, shining hair. She was the one he and Leila had gotten their dark hair from, though somehow her waves always lay perfectly, while his had a tendency to turn into fluff.

 

“Don’t play _faux-naïf_ , Dan,” she said, reaching out and tweaking the tip of his nose. “You can’t pretend no one wants you while sitting there smelling like not one, but _two_ separate Alphas.”

 

Dan lowered his eyes. It was another open secret that, while his parents were theoretically a bonded couple, neither of them had smelled like the other in years. He supposed of all people his mother would know about attracting new lovers while still being bonded. He wondered if she even still had a bonding mark, or if it had faded as his own would before too long.

 

He suddenly wished very much that she would go away and leave him alone again.

 

“Tell me about Switzerland,” he said. “How did Neal and Rory like it?”

 

“Oh, well!” she began, casting herself into a nearby seat, and even though she didn’t leave for another half hour or so, at least she didn’t return to the topic of his life choices.

 

She must have spoken to his Alpha Father as she’d suggested, though, for a couple of days later, his Father sent for him and told him he was free to go about his life as normal, though he warned him to remember his position.

 

“You’re a widow, Dan, not an Alpha-crazy teenager letting his hormones do the driving.”

 

Dan wanted to protest that he was, in fact, a teenager — for nearly another year — and that he’d never in his life been “Alpha-crazy.” If anything, people had accused him of being a Beta Bitch — an Omega who only went for Beta males — not that that had really been any truer.

 

But he was free now, and he very much needed to get out of the house. He was on the verge of calling up Claire and asking if she wanted to get dinner together when he remembered her heat had been on the way when they’d returned. She’d probably already had it, but…just to be on the safe side, he’d leave her be for a few more days.

 

Instead, he decided it was time to stop putting off the inevitable. Phil had said they should go see a movie soon, hadn’t he? Dan really hoped he’d meant it…and that he’d meant that Dan was forgiven. So he called for Tony and had him take a message down to Phil and then tried not to bite his fingernails while he waited for the Alpha’s response.

 

**

 

It was already the next Sunday when Phil finally saw Dan again.

 

Beta Tony came and found him where he was helping one of the kitchen slaves pick fresh herbs from the garden for dinner and told him to wash his hands and go up to see his master.

 

“Omega Dan?” he asked, standing up and wiping his muddy hands on his gardening apron.

 

“Yes,” the Beta told him with a smile. “His Alpha Father’s given him permission to leave his quarters again.”

 

The Beta beckoned him forward as he began to turn back toward the house, so Phil scrambled to follow.

 

“Wait, Alpha Howell made him stay in his quarters?” Phil asked, keeping his voice low, once he’d caught up to Beta Tony again.

 

“Yes,” the Beta said over his shoulder. “The Young Master asked me not to spread it around. He didn’t want the whole household knowing he was in trouble.”

 

“Oh,” Phil replied. He doubted that had kept most of the house slaves from knowing anyway. It was next to impossible to keep secrets in a household like this. Still, none of them had said a thing to _him_ about it. He wondered if maybe what Dan had really asked was that no one spread the information to Phil.

 

As he quickly washed his hands and changed his clothes, Phil realized there was an excited flutter in the pit of his stomach. As awful as their last encounter had been and as anxious as he’d been these past few days waiting for Dan to call for him again, he still wanted to see Dan so badly.

 

He paused with his hand on the handle of his bedroom door, his heartbeat suddenly too fast. He’d tried so hard to distract himself, finding extra work to do, or spending time with first Alpha Leila and then Beta Alex, that he hadn’t allowed himself a single moment to stop and wonder _why_.

 

Why had he missed Dan so much all that time he’d been gone? Why had he been so hurt that the Omega hadn’t told him he was leaving? Why had he gotten so angry at what Alpha Sergei had said about Dan…and even angrier when he’d smelled another Alpha’s scent on the Omega?

 

And why was he so excited now to finally get to spend time with Dan again, despite everything that he’d done?

 

At first, when it had been only one or two things, just the contentment he’d felt when he held Dan at night or the way the time had seemed to fly when they were together, it had been easy to dismiss these things as nothing more than biology. Dan was an attractive Omega and one who was compatible for bonding with Phil. Of course he’d enjoyed being around him.

 

But now…there were too many things that simply couldn’t be explained away.

 

_Do you have feelings for Dan?_

 

He realized with a guilty jolt that he had lied to Alpha Leila. Perhaps the lie had been unintentional. Perhaps he _hadn’t_ known, somehow, deep down, that the answer to her question was yes.

 

Whatever the case, it was clear now that his denial had been a lie. He definitely, unmistakably, without a single doubt, had feelings for Dan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I say it nearly every time, but thank you all so much for reading my fic and for your comments! I am always grateful for you all. The next chapter will be on Saturday! <3


	9. Week 7: Sunday - Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Phil develop a fondness for movie-going. (Warnings: mentions of death, drinking, sex)

Dan was standing in front of the mirror inside his wardrobe door, trying to decide if his casual top was casual enough to look like he’d just thrown it on, when there came a knock at his door.

 

“Come in,” he called over his shoulder, frowning one last time at his reflection before shutting the wardrobe and walking over toward where his bedroom door opened onto the sitting room.

 

He found Phil there, standing just inside with his hand on the doorknob. The tightness in his chest eased at the sight of the Alpha. He had come.

 

“Hey, so, I was thinking maybe we could go out to a movie,” he said as Phil pushed the outside door shut. “Would that be okay with you?”

 

There was something unsure, jittery almost in Phil’s eyes as they met Dan’s. He immediately began to worry that the Alpha was about to turn him down. After all, from Phil’s point of view, he supposed it seemed like Dan had just ignored him for another week. Hell, from his own point of view it was rather like that too. He wouldn’t be very surprised if Phil lit into him again, except—

 

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Phil said.

 

A little more of Dan’s tension eased.

 

“Come look at the options with me and tell me what sounds good to you,” he said. He turned and walked back into the bedroom, pleased to hear the sound of Phil’s footsteps following behind.

 

He sat down at his computer and heard Phil come to a stop just behind his chair.

 

“Did you like that one we saw before?” he asked, scrolling through the available options. “I think there’s another superhero movie out now.”

 

“That would be fine,” Phil’s voice said, a little nearer to his ear than he was expecting. The Alpha must be bending forward to look at the screen over his shoulder.

 

“Oh, or there’s that one that’s supposed to be really good. Claire — my friend who I went to France with — was saying she really liked it.” He pointed at the name of the movie on the screen and turned to find Phil’s face right next to his. Phil jumped a little, his cheeks flushing pink. “Sorry! Didn’t know you were right there.”

 

“Uh, that’s okay,” The Alpha said, his eyes darting off to the side. “I think I’d like the superhero one better.”

 

“All right,” Dan said, turning back around again. “But are there any others here that you’d like to see? We don’t have to stop at one, you know. We can go to see all of them at some point, if you want.”

 

“Okay,” Phil said. “Let’s go to the superhero one tonight.”

 

“Great,” Dan said, turning around. Phil quickly stepped back from his chair. “Want to go to the later show so we can grab dinner first?”

 

Phil nodded, giving him a swift smile. 

 

“Think about what kind of food you might like while I send for the car.”

 

Phil remained strangely quiet the entire way to the restaurant. He’d picked Chinese, explaining that he’d only had it a couple of times before and wanted to try it again. Dan noted that he looked uneasy once they’d walked in and been seated.

 

“Do you want to go somewhere else?” he asked once the hostess had left.

 

“No, no,” Phil said, vigorously shaking his head. “Here is fine.”

 

Dan chatted lightly, keeping the conversation going despite Phil’s apparent inability this evening to form sentences longer than three words. He thought he knew what the problem might be, so once their food had come, and they’d both had a chance to get a few bites in, he leaned forward and gave the Alpha an apologetic smile.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t send for you at all this week,” he murmured, making sure that no one but Phil would hear what he said. “My Alpha Father confined me to my quarters after he found out about my trip to France, and it just didn’t seem fair making you come up and hang out in there when you could be elsewhere doing as you wished.”

 

Phil looked up from the egg roll he’d been biting into and gave Dan an odd look.

 

“It’s my duty to serve you,” he said after he’d swallowed and had a sip of water. “If you were bored or lonely, you should have sent for me.”

 

Well, when he put it like that, it sounded so simple.

 

“I-I know,” he stammered. How was it that Phil always found some way to throw him off? He was almost never at loss for words, no matter what the situation, and yet when it came to talking to Phil. He grabbed for his own water and took a long drink. “I guess I was also…embarrassed to see you,” he added in an even lower voice than before. “I still smelled like…them…and I know you didn’t like it.”

 

Phil set down his egg roll and his glass and turned a very serious gaze on Dan.

 

“But I know now that it wasn’t your fault,” he said. “I’m so sorry I made you feel bad about it.”

 

Dan felt too warm all of a sudden and reached for his water again.

 

“You don’t have to apologize,” he muttered into the glass. “I should have explained things instead of just showing up in the middle of the night.”

 

When he dared to glance back at Phil, the Alpha was now looking more thoughtful than serious.

 

“If you don’t mind my asking, Omega Dan, why do you do that?” he said, picking up his egg roll once more. “You don’t have to sneak in you know. I don’t mind you sleeping with me.”

 

The warmth Dan had felt before became flickering flames crawling up his neck and into his cheeks.

 

“I know you don’t,” he managed to squeak out. “I just… I don’t usually plan to do it, but sometimes I have a hard time falling asleep, and—“ He stopped himself just before saying ‘I fall asleep so easily next to you.’ Things were just starting to get back to normal between the two of them. No reason to push his luck.

 

“And?” Phil prompted. His egg roll seemed to be completely forgotten in his hand.

 

“Changing to a different location helps me fall asleep,” Dan added, picking up his chopsticks and shoving a huge bite of white rice into his mouth.

 

“Oh,” Phil said, looking away. He seemed to remember his egg roll then and polished off the rest of it in a single bite.

 

The ride to the cinema was quiet again, and Dan worried that he’d said something wrong. However, the movie itself was really good, and it was clear Phil loved it. As they stood up to go, there was a gleam in his eye, and he couldn’t stop going on about how cool the effects were and how funny the dialogue had been. They talked back and forth about it the entire way home, and Phil seemed to have to tear himself away when they parted ways at the door to Dan’s quarters.

 

“You could come and, you know,” Phil said, eyes staring bashfully down at his feet, “I mean, if you want to, you could come to my room later.”

 

Dan felt a funny tickling in his stomach at the Alpha’s words, but he shoved the thought of it away and just smiled.

 

“Yeah, maybe I will,” he said.

 

Phil smiled and ducked his head in a small bow before turning and heading toward the stairs.

 

_I don’t know who I think I’m kidding_ , Dan thought as he pushed open the door to his quarters.

 

An hour later, once he’d bathed and changed into his pajamas, he sneaked out into the corridor again and down the stairs into the slave quarters. It wasn’t even midnight yet, and he supposed someone might be up and about, but it was more out of habit that he tiptoed than out of any real fear of being seen. All the slaves knew he liked to come down to Phil’s room, and no one else was likely to be in this part of the house.

 

When he knocked, Phil opened the door almost at once, dressed in his own pajamas and smelling of soap. As he turned to lead Dan into the room, Dan could see that the hair at the nape of his neck was wet and clung to his skin.

 

He could see his laptop sitting closed at the end of Phil’s bed. He’d already forgotten that Phil had it. He really should just give it to Phil and buy himself a new one.

 

“Are you ready to sleep now?” the Alpha asked, casting a decidedly nervous glance at him over his shoulder as he moved the laptop over to the desk.

 

“Yeah,” Dan smiled. “I’m pretty sleepy.”

 

Phil nodded and then waved toward the bed.

 

“I’ll get the light,” he said.

 

So Dan walked over and climbed under the thin summer duvet. In just a few weeks, it would probably need to be switched out for a warmer one, he thought as he pulled it up over himself. He wondered if he would still be sleeping here then. A moment later, the lights switched off, and he heard Phil shuffling over and then felt him slide into the bed beside him.

 

Then the Alpha’s arms came around him, and his scent enveloped him, and he felt just as sleepy as he’d claimed to be. Yeah, he’d probably still be sleeping here when the seasons changed.

 

**

 

They went to a movie every night that week, and every night after they’d returned home, Dan showered and changed and came down to join Phil in his twin bed. Phil found that he was getting less sleep than he ever had in his life, though Dan always dropped off right away. It was easier to stay in bed beside Dan now that he smelled like himself again, but it was infinitely more difficult now that he couldn’t stop thinking about how beautiful he was and how good it felt to touch him.

 

On Sunday night, they saw the superhero movie, and on Monday, the one that Omega Trenton had liked. It was a slow-moving domestic drama that Dan said was good and Phil said was trying too hard. On Tuesday, they saw a creepy horror film, which Phil thought was great and was surprised to discover Dan had really enjoyed too. He didn’t know why he had expected the Omega to be too squeamish, but it turned out that they shared a love of the horror genre.

 

On Wednesday, they saw a cute family movie with talking animals and a heartwarming moral at the end and on Thursday a tense political thriller.

 

On Friday, they went to a small, artsy cinema and watched a documentary about a famous musician who had died tragically young. Dan cried at the end — not just a few tears but loud, red-faced sobs that had some of the other patrons casting them furtive looks as they left. An usher approached with a concerned look on their face, but Phil shooed them away as he slid an arm around Dan’s shoulders and the Omega collapsed against his chest. He didn’t understand immediately why Dan was so distraught, and then it finally clicked: Dan’s Alpha had also died tragically young, just a few months ago.

 

It wasn’t until the lights came up and the ushers started moving through the rows of seats to clean up that Dan finally leaned away, brushing half-heartedly at the wet blotches on the front of Phil’s shirt.

 

“Wanna go home?” Phil murmured, and the Omega nodded.

 

So Phil helped him up and then slipped an arm around his shoulder again, and Dan kept his face buried in Phil’s side as the Alpha guided him out of the building and into their waiting car. Neither of them let go until they pulled up in front of the Howell residence. Then, at last, Dan pulled away, and they climbed out of the car and made their way inside.

 

At Dan’s door, Phil started to turn away, but the Omega reached out and grabbed his hand, making the Alpha’s heart jump into his throat.

 

“Wait,” Dan said, his voice still wavering with tears. “Stay with me.”

 

Phil nodded and let himself be led inside, through the sitting room and into Dan’s bedroom. He’d meant to say something, to speak his assent, but somehow the words didn’t seem to want to come out. The hand that Dan was holding was tingling like a limb waking up after falling asleep.

 

Dan led him over to his bed and then let go once Phil had sat down.

 

“Do you mind if I—?” he asked, making gestures toward the bathroom.

 

“No, go ahead,” Phil managed to say. His voice came out a little rougher than he was expecting.

 

Dan cast him a slight smile and then headed off into the bathroom. After a few minutes, Phil heard the faucet turn on and then the shower. He just kept sitting on the edge of Dan’s bed, heart pounding in his chest. He was trying to remind himself that Dan only wanted comfort from him, that Dan was hurt and grieving, and not think too much about the fact that Dan was just in the next room, standing naked as the hot water of the shower spilled over his pretty skin—

 

The water turned off with a squeak, and then Phil could hear the clinking of the shower curtain rings as it was pushed aside and then the muted rustling sounds of feet on a thick rug.

 

He took a deep breath, trying to settle his skyrocketing heart rate.

 

About a minute later, the door opened, and Dan walked back into the room in a cloud of steam with his white bathrobe wrapped tightly around him and a black towel around his neck. His cheeks were flushed pink from the heat of the shower.

 

He walked over to Phil at once, plopping down on the bed beside him with one leg crooked at a careless angle that made his robe hang a little too far open. Phil kept his eyes strictly on the Omega’s face.

 

“That’s much better,” Dan sighed as he rubbed at his dripping hair with the towel. “Do you want to just stay up here tonight? I think I’ve got an extra toothbrush in there somewhere that you can use, or we can just have someone bring yours up from your room.” He dragged a gaze over Phil, who was dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt. “Maybe your pajamas, too,” Dan added.

 

“O-okay,” Phil stammered, “Um, but I can go down and get my own stuff—“

 

“No,” Dan said, shooting a hand out and gripping Phil’s wrist. “Please. Stay with me.”

 

Phil’s eyes dropped down to the hand on his wrist, catching a tantalizing glimpse of the Omega’s inner thigh on the way.

 

“I’ll stay,” he choked out.

 

Dan withdrew his hand then, and Phil heard a breath leave the Omega’s lungs that might have been a sigh. He stood and walked over to the intercom near the door, and Phil squeezed his eyes shut, focusing all his attention on calming his breathing.

 

“Did you want a snack or something too?” Dan tossed over his shoulder. “Or a drink?”

 

“Um, a drink would be good,” Phil replied, opening his eyes but not looking over at Dan.

 

“Anything specific?” Dan asked.

 

“You pick.”

 

At least it was easier to control himself this time than it had been before, when they were faking Dan’s heat. Without the scent of Dan’s heat hormones to muddy his thinking, he was managing to channel his thoughts away from anything too dangerous.

 

He heard Dan stop speaking and then the sound of his footsteps, but instead of coming over to the bed, he walked to the wardrobe and pulled open the heavy wooden door.

 

“I don’t really feel like pajamas tonight,” Dan said, peering up at the rows of clothing hung neatly inside the wardrobe. “Would it bother you too much if I wore something else?”

 

Phil cleared his throat, unable to tear his eyes away from the Omega’s robe-clad back.

 

“Um, I guess not,” he said. Dan reached up and began flicking through items on hangers, and then a knock sounded at the door, making Phil jump.

 

“Oh, can you go let him in,” Dan called.

 

“Sure.”

 

Phil hopped down from the bed and fled to the sitting room, where he opened the door to allow in Beta Tony, who held a pair of his pajamas neatly folded with his toothbrush on top, followed immediately by Beta Jonathan, carrying a tray with two cocktails on it. Oh. Phil had thought Dan had called for water or something. He gulped.

 

The two Betas murmured greetings to him, and he stepped aside to let them through. 

 

“Yes, just there on the table,” he heard Dan saying from the other room and realized he was still stood by the front door lost in thought. He hurried back into the bedroom to find Beta Tony laying his bundle of Phil’s things on the bed and Beta Jonathan standing up from having set the tray on the table. “Thank you. I’ll call if I need anything else,” Dan said from where he stood holding some item of clothing in his hand.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Beta Tony replied with a bow, and then he led Beta Jonathan out of Dan’s quarters again. When he heard the door click shut behind them, Phil turned back to Dan and felt a jolt of shock run through him at the sight of the Omega, still stood facing the wardrobe, slipping off his robe. He stood transfixed as the white robe slid to the floor and Dan stepped out of it. The Omega’s back was pale and smooth, but Phil could easily make out the dark red splash on his left shoulder. He almost forgot to breathe when his eyes dropped lower and he saw that there was a pair of delicately pink, lacy underwear hugging the soft curves of the Omega’s buttocks.

 

So much for his self-control.

 

Dan was slipping something over his head, the item of clothing he’d been holding earlier, but Phil tore his gaze away, whirling toward the bed and grabbing up his pajamas and toothbrush from where Beta Tony had left them.

 

“I’m gonna take a shower now,” he said, his voice sounding strangely high-pitched.

 

“Okay,” he heard Dan say behind him. He sounded cool as a fucking cucumber.

 

Phil dashed into the bathroom and quickly shut the door, hoping Dan had still been facing away from him. He turned on the faucet at once and then stripped out of his clothes, glaring down at his penis, standing proud and tall against his abdomen.

 

He wrapped his hand around it and sighed. How many times, he wondered, was he going to end up jerking off in Dan’s bathroom?

 

He probably stayed in the shower for way too long, but Dan didn’t comment on it when he at last returned. The Omega was stretched out on top of his duvet, lying on his side with his head propped up on one elbow as he flipped through the pages of a book. He was wearing a long, cotton night shirt of the same shade of pink his underwear had been. It came down to just above his knee, but in the position he lay in, the thin material clung to his side, making it possible to see every line of the body underneath.

 

At least, Phil told himself, his body couldn’t respond to the sight the way it wanted to since it was still recovering from his little session in the shower.

 

“I drank both our drinks and had them bring you up a fresh one,” Dan informed him without looking up from his book. “Hurry up and drink it before the ice starts to melt in that one too.”

 

Phil obeyed without a word, walking over to the table and picking up the drink. He thought it was the same as one of the ones Dan had served him before, the one that looked like a sunset and had an orange wedge on the rim. He picked it up and took a long sip of the sweet drink. It probably wasn’t such a good idea to have so much sugar right before bed, but he doubted he was going to get much sleep tonight anyway.

 

Gripping his glass of fruity drink in front of him as though it were some sort of protective talisman, Phil turned back to the bed only to be greeted with a view of Dan stretching one arm far over his head as he yawned loudly. The movement was pulling the hem of his night shirt so far up that Phil not only could see almost his entire thigh, but he was pretty sure he could see the lacy edge of his underwear as well.

 

Phil squeezed his eyes shut and downed about half of his drink in one big gulp.

 

“Do you want me to have them bring you up another one?” he heard Dan ask.

 

He opened his eyes and found that the Omega had shut his book on one finger and was gazing up at him with an amused expression.

 

“No, thank you,” Phil said. “I, um, think I want to go to sleep soon.”

 

Dan nodded, and his jaw cracked as he let out another epic yawn. Phil averted his eyes.

 

“Me too,” he said, setting his book aside on the nightstand. “Just gonna go brush my teeth.”

 

“Okay,” Phil said, downing the rest of his drink so that he didn’t have to watch Dan slide off the bed and saunter into the bathroom. Or, he assumed he sauntered since he definitely wasn’t watching.

 

As soon as Dan came back, Phil said he needed to brush his teeth too, and he took extra long making sure he really got his molars good and clean. Thankfully, this plan worked, and Dan was already under the covers by the time Phil got back.

 

“Would you mind getting the lights?” Dan said as he fluffed up his pillows.

 

“Not at all.”

 

With a strong sense of relief, Phil marched over to the light switch, flipped it down and then felt his way over to the bed in the dark. Yes, he would now have to share a bed with an Omega whose underwear he couldn’t stop thinking about, but at least now he couldn't _see_ said underwear.

 

He crawled under the duvet, and Dan scooted over closer to him at once, fitting his body against Phil’s as he always did. Phil had no idea how he’d used to manage to fall asleep like this, with the Omega’s round bottom firmly pressed against his crotch. When he didn’t immediately place his arm around Dan, the Omega reached back and took his arm and pulled it over himself as though it were another blanket. To Phil’s chagrin, Dan didn’t let go of his arm once he’d settled it where he wanted it but instead slid his hand down until his fingers slotted neatly in between Phil’s.

 

By now, Phil’s heart was pounding so hard and his breathing had grown so shallow that he almost felt dizzy.

 

“Phil,” Dan said then. His voice was pitched very low, probably because they were so near.

 

“Yes?” Phil responded, the word more breath than sound.

 

“Do you want to kiss me right now?”

 

Somehow Phil’s heart managed to start beating even faster.

 

“Why…do you ask?” he said, his voice faint.

 

Without warning, the Omega turned, releasing his hand so that Phil’s arm now curled around Dan’s back, and he could see the faint outline of the Omega’s face turned up to his in the dark.

 

“Because I really want to kiss you,” Dan said.

 

Phil’s breath actually stopped for a moment, and his mind completely whited out. What? What…did Dan just say?

 

“I won’t,” Dan said, “if you don’t want to.”

 

Phil’s stomach felt like a puddle of melted butter, and his head felt like it was full of clouds, but he managed to come up with a response finally.

 

“I want to,” he said.

 

He saw Dan smile at him, and then he closed his eyes, and Dan scooted a bit closer. His arm closed more tightly around the Omega, though he wasn’t sure if he’d told it to or not. He could feel Dan’s face really close, the warmth of his skin and his breath. Then his lips pressed against Phil’s lips, very lightly, just a slight pressure before moving away again.

 

Phil lay as still as he knew how, waiting for more.

 

“I can feel your heart beating really hard,” Dan whispered against his lips. “Was that okay? Do you want me to kiss you again?”

 

“Please,” Phil said. Well, begged more like.

 

He felt Dan move again, closing the gap between their lips, this time pressing more firmly and moving his lips against Phil’s. Phil wondered if he was supposed to move his lips too. He had no idea how any of this was supposed to work.

 

Dan pulled back again, and Phil was about to ask him what he should do with his lips, but the words completely fled his mind when he felt Dan’s hands on his shoulders, pushing him over onto his back. A moment later, he felt the Omega sling one leg over his abdomen so that he was straddling him, and then he was bending his face to Phil’s again, moving his lips against the Alpha’s in earnest.

 

Phil’s hands reached up and clasped themselves behind the Omega’s back, holding him close as he tried to make his lips do the same things Dan’s were doing. His mind was racing a mile a minute, with one thought chasing another one out almost as soon as it appeared. One of Dan’s hands had slid itself into his hair, and he could feel the other one braced on the bed beside his ear, and worst of all, he could feel the Omega’s cock pressing against his stomach through the thin layers of underwear and pajama shirt. Dan was just as hard as he was.

 

Phil parted his lips, and then Dan’s tongue was there, feeling along the sensitive inner edge of his bottom lip, and Phil let out an involuntary groan.

 

Dan pulled back then, withdrawing his fingers from Phil’s hair and using them instead to cup his jaw.

 

“Is this okay?” he whispered, looking down at Phil with a crease between his eyebrows. “I know you haven’t ever, you know, done anything before. I don’t want to— I mean, I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to do.”

 

Phil’s heart felt like it was beating right inside the back of his throat, choking off his air, and his head was all light and airy. It was really hard to concentrate on what Dan was saying, though he was conscious of an urgent desire to have Dan’s lips on his again.

 

“I just…” he breathed after a moment. “Can we just…kiss for right now? Just that?”

 

Dan’s mouth curved up into a smile and he nodded.

 

“Okay,” he whispered, before lowering his lips to Phil’s again.

 

This time Phil opened his lips right away, and when Dan’s tongue slipped between them, he met it with his own tongue, exploring the strange way this new form of contact felt. He wasn’t sure if he really liked it or if what he liked was just sharing this with Dan. His hands unclasped so that his palms could spread out against the soft warmth of Dan’s nightshirt stretched over his back.

 

It took a while, but Phil slowly started to feel like he was getting the hang of the kissing thing. He just hoped it felt as good to Dan as it did to him, though judging by the fact that Dan’s hard-on was still pressed against his stomach, he thought it must.

 

After a while — Phil had no idea how long — Dan finally pulled back and then climbed off Phil to flop onto the bed beside him. For a moment, they both lay there, filling the darkness with the sounds of their panting breaths.

 

Then Dan sat up and pushed the duvet down off his legs.

 

“I’m really sorry, Phil, but if I don’t get off right now I think I’m going to explode, so—“ He started to slide over to the edge of the bed, but Phil reached out and put a hand on his arm.

 

“Wait, um,” Phil panted, “I can…um, I mean, if you want me to, uh, I can do it for you…” He trailed off, having no idea what exactly he was offering to do but knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wanted to do it.

 

Dan didn’t turn back to him, but he didn’t leave the bed either.

 

“Phil, you really don’t have to,” he said, his voice sounding just as breathy as Phil’s. “I know you’re new to all this. I can just—“

 

“Really,” Phil said, running his hand up Dan’s arm and then back down it a little ways. “I want to. A lot, actually.”

 

Dan shivered at his touch, and then he turned his head so that his eyes could meet Phil’s. He was smiling, just a little.

 

“Really?” he said.

 

Phil nodded. His stomach was quivering with nervous excitement.

 

“Yeah,” he said. “Just tell me what to do.”

 

Dan turned all the way back then and crawled over to lie beside Phil. Keeping his eyes locked with the Alpha’s, he reached down and pulled up his nightshirt a little. Phil couldn’t help glancing down to see what he was doing. He had hooked his fingers inside his underwear and was slowly sliding them down his thighs. He stopped when they were around his knees and left them there.

 

Hardly daring to breathe, Phil looked back up into the Omega’s eyes again.

 

“Give me your hand,” Dan murmured, so Phil held out his hand, and Dan took it and then carried it down and slipped both their hands together underneath the hem of his shirt. “It’s not that different from when you do this to yourself,” Dan told him, and then with a breathy laugh, added, “mine’s just a lot smaller.”

 

Phil blushed, but he knew Dan wouldn’t be able to see in the low light from the windows. Dan’s laughing eyes watched his face as his hand guided Phil’s hand down to his abdomen and then left it there. The skin was warm and smooth and trembling. As he inched his palm lower, he realized that Dan’s skin was completely bare of the hair he’d seen there several weeks ago. He felt a trace of moisture, and then the side of his hand bumped against the hot, moist tip of Dan’s cock.

 

The Omega sucked in a sharp breath.

 

“Can I—?”

 

“Yes,” Dan said at once, eyes fluttering shut.

 

Phil lifted his hand and then clasped it around the leaking member, feeling the solid warmth of it against his palm. It _was_ a lot smaller than his own or any other that he’d ever seen. He pulled gently at it, and Dan let out a soft moan.

 

“Is that good?” he asked, worried about whether he was getting it right.

 

“Yeah,” Dan whispered. “Keep doing that.”

 

So he pushed his hand back down the shaft a bit and then pulled up again, feeling the slippery motion of the Omega’s foreskin as it slid up and down the shaft with his hand. He reached his thumb up and pressed it against the slick head, rubbing the velvety pre-cum across the swollen skin.

 

“Phil,” Dan sighed, stretching out his face until his lips met the Alpha’s. Phil kissed him back, hard, as he continued squeezing and tugging at the Omega’s twitching dick. He could feel his own cock started to leak into his boxers. He wondered if he was going to get off, just from touching Dan like this.

 

Dan pulled back then and then raised his lips to hover near Phil’s ear.

 

“Kiss my neck,” he whispered, his voice sounding urgent.

 

Phil obliged at once, bending his mouth to the Omega’s fragrant neck and pressing kisses up and down his skin as he ran his thumb once more across the head of his cock. Dan let out a whimper, and all at once Phil felt the overwhelming urge to scent him. Rolling closer, he squeezed the Omega’s cock inside his palm and then ran his nose along the skin of his neck, breathing deeply of his now-familiar scent. Dan was panting his name again, and rutting his hips up to thrust into his palm, and now he was rubbing his face against the Omega’s neck, reveling in the way their scents mingled to create something entirely new, something that said that Dan was his and he was Dan’s.

 

He opened his mouth and sank his teeth into the spot where Dan’s neck joined his shoulder — not hard but just enough to make sure the Omega felt it. All at once, Dan was coming, something hot and sticky spilling over the back of Phil’s hand and seeping down into his palm, and the Omega cried out, throwing his head back and pushing himself up once, twice, and one more time into Phil’s hand before he went limp and still against the mattress.

 

Phil drew his hand out from under the Omega’s soiled night shirt and placed a soft kiss over the bite mark he’d left before pulling away entirely.

 

“I’m gonna go—“ he muttered.

 

Dan nodded slightly, eyes still shut.

 

So Phil scooted off the bed and went over to the bathroom, where he washed his hand off and then wondered whether he should take care of himself too while he was in there.

 

“Phil?” he heard Dan say from right behind him. He turned from the sink to see the Omega stood silhouetted in the bathroom door. He’d taken off his shirt and his underwear so that now he stood completely naked, though mostly in shadow. “I can take care of you too, if you’d like.”

 

Phil swallowed, knees feeling weak at the idea. He’d turned down Dan’s offer once before. He hadn’t felt ready for something like that then. Now…he still wasn’t sure that he was ready. It was one thing for Dan to let Phil touch him and kiss him and make him feel good, but it was another thing entirely for Phil to let someone else do the same things to him. Something about it felt so vulnerable. It was scary, if he was being honest with himself.

 

“It’s, uh, it’s okay,” Phil said. “I already, you know.”

 

“Oh,” Dan said and then laughed a little. “Well, I’m glad it was good for you too.”

 

“It was,” Phil breathed in reverent tones.

 

Dan laughed again.

 

“All right, I’m gonna put on a clean night shirt,” he said.

 

“I’ve got to take a whiz,” Phil lied. Dan nodded and closed the door and then Phil walked over to the toilet and pulled down his pajama bottoms and boxers and managed to make himself come with just a few quick tugs.

 

When he got back from the bathroom, Dan was curled up under the covers, already half asleep. Phil was feeling very drowsy himself, so he crawled underneath and wrapped himself around the Omega. It seemed like the easiest and most natural thing in the world now, having Dan’s body slotted into his like this.

 

“Good night,” he murmured near the Omega’s ear.

 

“Good night,” Dan slurred back in his sleepy voice, and then Phil drifted off into the best night of sleep he’d had in a long, long time.

Art by @Viviana_Di_Chiara 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading. Next chapter on Tuesday. :))))))))
> 
> UPDATE: Check out the gorgeous art by @Viviana_Di_Chiara and send them love on Twitter: https://twitter.com/vividc_art/status/858034824216543232 or Tumblr: http://vivianadichiara.tumblr.com/post/160092333129/a-commission-for-phananon-on-ao3-who-has-written


	10. Week 7: Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Dan and Phil spent that Saturday. (Warnings: discussions of death, sex)

 

Dan woke up crying but didn’t know it.

 

All he knew was that he’d been dreaming of David. In his dream, David was alive and lying in bed beside him. Except, it wasn’t the big bed they’d shared in the flat across town but his bed here, in his Alpha Father’s house, the one with the black duvet and pillow cases and sheets.

 

He’d dreamed that David was miraculously still alive. The phone call, the hospital, the funeral — all of it had been a huge misunderstanding. So David had come to find him and crawled into his bed and lay beside him in the August morning sunlight and smiled that white-toothed smile of his.

 

“Did you miss me?” he’d asked.

 

Dan, obviously stunned, had spluttered that of course he’d missed him. He was his Alpha, wasn’t he?

 

But David had reached out and tweaked his nose, in that same way that his mum did that he’d always hated.

 

“Don’t lie, Dan,” he’d laughed.

 

That had really set Dan off. How dare David not believe him? When had he ever, even once, given David a reason to doubt? Hadn’t he come home to David every night? Hadn’t he always shared his bed, his meals, asked him about his day? Hadn’t he helped him through his ruts, though his heats had never once lined up? And hadn’t he agreed to put off starting a family until David had started his career — not the one his Alpha Parent had planned out for him but the one he’d really wanted?

 

Hadn’t Dan done everything a good Omega does for their Alpha? And yet David had the gall to lie there and laugh at him and not believe him?

 

But even as Dan had protested all of this, David had been laughing at him again.

 

“A good Omega wouldn’t lie to his Alpha,” he’d said. In the dream, Dan had started crying then, and he wasn’t aware that he’d started crying in reality as well.

 

“I _am_ a good Omega,” he’d sobbed. “And I do miss you.”

 

Yet nothing he had said, no proof he’d offered, no pleading had stopped David from continuing to lie there and laugh and laugh.

 

And then he’d woken up.

 

His room was silent. No one was laughing at him, though there was plenty of rare sunlight spilling through the curtains behind his bed. He reached a hand up to his face to rub at one sleepy eye and was surprised to find his cheeks were wet. He wiped a hand over first one cheek and then the other, and then he rolled over to stare at the space in his bed where David had lain.

 

There was an Alpha there, lying curled up on his side with his face smushed into a pillow and his mouth open just slightly.

 

Dan had never woken in this bed to see another person there, though he’d woken several times next to Phil. Usually they woke up together in a much smaller bed, one where they were forced to spoon in order to both fit. It felt weird, wrong even, to wake up with Phil lying so far away. 

 

He wanted very badly to roll over, right into the Alpha’s embrace. It felt so good to be held like that, and to have the scent of Alpha envelope him like a magic circle of protection. Last night had felt really good too, kissing Phil and feeling his clumsy attempts at kissing back slowly grow bolder and more assured until he was kissing Dan in a way that left him breathless. And then when he’d offered to get Dan off— Dan thought he could have come just from the thought of it alone. Last night with Phil had felt good in a way sex hadn’t felt for a long time. It had been like sex with David had used to be, at the beginning — tender and intimate and full of affection.

 

He wanted so badly to roll into Phil’s arms and wake him up and get Phil to make him feel like that again, but he shouldn’t. He really shouldn’t. Because wasn’t he doing to Phil the same thing he’d done to Édouard? The same thing he’d done to David? He’d taken and taken from them until he’d had what he wanted, and then… 

 

He shook his head. No, he couldn’t think that way. They’d told him, all of them, over and over again, that David’s death had been an accident. His car had run a red light, he hadn’t been wearing his seatbelt — really, it was the most mundane of things, the sort of thing that might happen to anyone at any time. But there was that little voice in the back of his head: _Maybe he was being intentionally reckless. Maybe he would have taken better care of himself if not for you. If you had just loved him like he’d wanted you to…_

 

Beside him, Phil stirred, so he shoved those stupid thoughts away and reached up and rubbed away the few tears that had trickled out of his eyes.

 

“Good morning,” he murmured.

 

Phil’s eyes struggled open until he was squinting at Dan in the bright morning light.

 

“G’morning,” he mumbled.

 

Dan smiled, and then the Alpha’s eyes sprang all the way open, and he sat up, staring wildly around. After a moment, he seemed to realize where he was and relaxed again. Dan was holding in laughter, watching the series of thoughts pass so clearly across Phil’s face. He couldn’t stop the chuckle that slipped out when Phil’s entire face blushed a bright pink. 

 

Phil’s gaze slid toward him, glancing over his eyes and settling somewhere in the region of his left ear.

 

“Um, d-did we, you know…last night,” he asked, his words so jumbled Dan could barely make them out.

 

“We made out and you gave me a handjob, if that’s what you mean,” Dan replied, stretching and yawning and then sitting up as well.

 

“Oh,” Phil said, whipping his head back around. His face was now a deep red.

 

Dan frowned.

 

“Do you regret it?” he asked, keeping his voice soft and neutral.

 

“N-no,” Phil stammered, staring down at the duvet over his lap. “It’s just… I just can’t believe it actually happened. I thought I dreamed it.”

 

Dan raised an eyebrow.

 

“So…you liked it?” he asked.

 

Phil glanced at him out of the corner of one eye, nibbling on his bottom lip with his slightly crooked front teeth.

 

“I liked it a lot,” he mumbled, his eyes darting away again.

 

For some reason, Phil’s words made Dan’s heart glow with a happy warmth. He couldn’t understand why. He’d never once had anyone not enjoy sex with him. In fact, he was used to much higher praise than a simple “I liked it.” Still, Phil’s praise seemed to make the sunshine filling the room grow even brighter than it already was.

 

“Should I call for breakfast?” Dan asked. “Anything in particular you’d like to eat?”

 

He was watching Phil carefully out of the corner of his eye, so he noticed the deep breath and the easing of the embarrassed hunch of his shoulders.

 

“Can we have pancakes?” Phil suggested once he’d regained enough of his composure to look at the Omega beside him again.

 

“Sure,” Dan replied, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and hopping down. He grinned a little to himself, turned away where Phil couldn’t see. He’d replaced his pale pink nightshirt for a pale yellow one that he knew was slightly sheer and had a tendency to cling to his backside. “Maple syrup? Blueberry? Strawberry? All of the above?” He turned to meet Phil’s eyes over his shoulder and was pleased to see that the Alpha’s mouth was hanging a bit open and the blush had returned to his cheeks.

 

“Wha— Oh. Um, strawberry, please,” Phil said.

 

They had breakfast seated at the table in Dan’s room, and Dan made sure to keep the conversation focused on innocuous subjects, such as the movies they’d seen this past week and activities they might do today.

 

When they were finished eating, Dan had Tony bring up a change of clothes for Phil, and they both dressed for the day, though Phil insisted on changing clothes in the bathroom. That was fine with Dan. He knew the Alpha still felt shy about his body. There was no need to push him. If he wanted Dan — and the Omega was quite certain he did — it would all happen in its own time.

 

Dan never stopped to consider why he himself wanted so badly for it to happen, though. He never had been one to think much about sex. For him, it was something he _did_ , not something he wasted time pondering.

 

Phil wanted to go for a walk in the park after breakfast, which was something Dan couldn’t remember having done at least since he was, like, fourteen, so together they walked down to the nearest park, with his bodyguard Nat in tow. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, sunny but not too warm. It seemed that the summer heat may have broken for good, though it was still August. As they walked side-by-side down a shady path, Dan reached out and took hold of Phil’s hand.

 

He half-expected the Alpha to yank it away, but he didn’t. Instead, he clung lightly to Dan’s hand, as though he were afraid that any pressure might break it. Dan smiled to himself as he wondered if that were exactly what the Alpha was thinking.

 

He gave Phil’s hand a little squeeze, to show him it was okay, and after a moment, Phil squeezed back, ever so gently.

 

“What movie should we go see tonight?” Dan asked then, making a face at a baby that was staring wide-eyed at them over its parent’s shoulder.

 

The baby’s pink mouth opened up in a shocked giggle, and Dan grinned at it.

 

“Um, what about that one with the robots,” Phil said. Dan looked back at him to find that the Alpha had been watching the entire exchange. He blushed.

 

“That one looked good,” he agreed, staring straight ahead to avoid the Alpha’s curious gaze.

 

“I always thought it would be fun to raise a baby,” Phil said then, startling Dan in to turning back to look at him. “I mean, I probably never will, but…babies seem sweet.”

 

“Ha,” Dan snorted. “They seem that way, but they’re a lot of mess and a lot of work.” He’d been old enough to remember both of his younger brothers as babies and to help raise them. He could even sort of remember Elizabeth as a baby, though he’d only been five at the time.

 

“You don’t want any?” Phil asked, sounding curious. Dan was pleased that he didn’t sound shocked or disgusted as people often had in the past when he’d expressed even the mildest doubt about having children. It was generally assumed that all Omegas were mad for babies.

 

“Oh, no, I definitely do,” Dan corrected him, “Someday,” he added. With David, he’d wanted children right away. Perhaps it had been a sort of perversity — wanting something simply because his Alpha hadn’t wanted it. Or maybe it had been born of a hope that the emptiness he felt in their relationship had been simply the lack of a family.

 

“I guess that’s something you’ll decide with your Alpha when you get married again,” Phil said, nodding and frowning up at the leafy branches overhead.

 

Dan stuck out his tongue. That was the problem with being an Omega. Few things in his life were things that he was allowed to simply decide for himself. Now that David was gone and the prospect of a new Alpha loomed on the horizon, he didn’t like the idea of having a baby quite as much. It was nice to still be young and free and not have to worry about a child waiting at home who relied on him for every little thing. 

 

“Why don’t you think you’ll ever have children?” Dan asked, the Alpha’s earlier statement drifting back to the forefront of his thoughts.

 

Phil shrugged, swinging their joined hands a bit.

 

“Slaves aren’t really allowed to have children, are they?” he said, tilting his head back down so that he was staring straight ahead of them now.

 

Dan cast a quick glance over his shoulder to where his bodyguard followed at a discreet distance. He pitched his voice low and leaned near Phil’s ear.

 

“But you’ll be free soon,” he said. “As soon as my new marriage is settled, you’ll be free to marry or have kids or whatever you like.”

 

Phil glanced down at him out of the corner of his eye.

 

“Yeah, I guess so,” he said.

 

Dan’s forehead wrinkled up in a frown.

 

“You don’t believe me,” he stated, a fleeting memory of his dream from this morning sparking anger in his chest. “You don’t think I’m actually going to do it.”

 

The Alpha turned wide eyes on him then.

 

“I do!” he objected. “I do believe you, Omega Dan. It’s just…will your Alpha Father really be willing to free me? I know he paid a lot of money to buy me, and—“

 

“I’ll make him,” Dan said, frown deepening. “Besides, what use will he have for you once I’m married?”

 

He saw the Alpha draw his lip in between his teeth, worrying at it as he sometimes did.

 

“He could re-sell me,” Phil said in a very quiet voice, “and get back some of the money he originally paid. You know that’s why _they_ sold me,” he continued, eyes flicking down to their joined hands and then back up again. “My parents’ owners, I mean. They said they wanted back some of the money they’d spent on raising me.”

 

Dan was so shocked he came to a complete standstill in the middle of the walking path.

 

“Your parents weren’t the ones who sold you?” he demanded, dropping Phil’s hand so he could turn and face him square on.

 

“Oh, no,” the Alpha said, staring down at the dirt of the path between them. “I thought I’d told you that before.”

 

“No, you didn’t,” Dan assured him. He certainly would have remembered something like that. “I didn’t even know that was legal.”

 

Phil’s shoulders hunched up and down in a sharp shrug.

 

“I guess it is, because it happened,” he mumbled. “Anyway, can we please talk about something else now?”

 

Dan didn’t say anything but just reached out and grabbed Phil’s hand, clutching it more tightly than before. He couldn’t say exactly why his heart had started aching, except maybe that it struck him as very sad that Phil’s parents had had no say in what happened to him. He couldn’t imagine how he’d feel if something like that had happened to a child of his.

 

“Do you want to go on a trip with me?” he asked, bringing up the first topic that popped into his head. “I think if I’m on my best behavior for a month or two, my Alpha Father will let me go somewhere again.”

 

“Oh, maybe,” Phil said, and Dan noticed he was squeezing Dan’s hand back pretty hard now. “I’ve never traveled much of anywhere before. Where would you like to go?”

 

“Hmm,” Dan mused, “I haven’t been to the States in a couple of years. Maybe New York or somewhere pretty, like Yellowstone. Oh, or we could go to Mexico. I haven’t been there in a while either. It’ll be getting chilly soon, so we should go somewhere further south.”

 

“All of those sound nice,” Phil murmured, though Dan could tell his thoughts must be miles away. That was okay, though. Dan could keep the conversation going until Phil found his way back.

 

They stopped at a hamburger shop for lunch and then headed back home, and eventually Phil was back to his usual, easygoing self. Dan held his hand the entire way there and all the way up the stairs to his rooms.

 

Once they were inside and alone, he reached up and pulled Phil’s face down and gave him a long, slow kiss that the Alpha returned eagerly. He felt Phil’s hands at his waist and then sliding around to clasp his lower back.

 

He pulled away, gazing up into the Alpha’s flushed face.

 

“Do you want to…” He finished his sentence with a nod toward the bedroom.

 

Phil’s flush deepened, and he answered with a nod.

 

Unfortunately, they were interrupted right at that moment by a knock at the door. Phil’s hands dropped from around him at once, and he jumped back, looking guilty. Dan would have been amused if he weren't so annoyed at the interruption.

 

“Come in,” he called.

 

The door swung open to admit an angry-faced Elizabeth.

 

“Da-an,” she whined, rushing right up to him, seemingly unaware of Phil’s presence. She could be very single-minded sometimes. “Leila says she’s too busy to help me with my German homework, even though I know she aced it last year, and I can’t figure it out at all. I hate German!”

 

She was clutching an open textbook and a few sheets of paper, which he assumed must be the offending homework.

 

“Oh, god,” he said, staring at the textbook with sympathy. “Does your German teacher give out summer homework now?”

 

“Dan!” she cried again, her pale cheeks flushing pink with anger. “You have to help me.”

 

He couldn’t stop the helpless laugh that slipped out.

 

“How? You know I took French.”

 

She gave an exaggerated roll of her brown eyes and let out the most exasperated sigh he’d ever heard.

 

“I know _that_ ,” she said. “But Mum and Dad are both _out_ , and I need you to call a _tutor_ for me.”

 

“Oh,” Dan said, frowning. “Why can’t you call that one you liked a lot, Beta…Francine, was it?”

 

Elizabeth just shook her head, clearly frustrated by Dan’s lack of comprehension.

 

“She stopped working so she could have a baby,” Elizabeth said, as though Dan should have known something so obvious.

 

“Okay, okay,” Dan said, reaching for his cell phone. “We’ll find you someone—“

 

“I took German.” 

 

Dan looked up, startled. It took him a moment to realize it was Phil who had spoken.

 

“I did German at school,” Phil repeated, when neither of the Howells responded. “I can help.”

 

“ _You_ went to school?” Elizabeth demanded.

 

Dan blushed.

 

“Elizabeth, don’t be rude,” he snapped. “Of course Phil went to school.”

 

He did his best not to remember that he had once asked Phil if he could even read.

 

“Sorry,” Elizabeth said, sounding rather mechanical. “And you took _German_?” she added. “How old were you when you were sold as a slave?”

 

“ _Elizabeth!_ ” Dan couldn’t believe the way she was behaving.

 

“It’s all right,” Phil said, darting a reassuring glance at Dan. “I was fifteen,” he said. “I was actually planning to get one of my qualifications in German.”

 

“Oh, perfect!” Elizabeth grinned and then walked over to the rug before the empty fireplace, plopped down and spread out her materials. “I can’t believe you were older than me when you were sold,” she added, patting a spot on the rug beside her.

 

Dan held up a hand and covered his eyes. He’d never been more embarrassed by someone in his family in his entire life.

 

“How old are you then, Beta Elizabeth?” he heard Phil asking from where he’d joined her on the floor.

 

“I’ll be fifteen in December,” she said. “Okay, so what I don’t get is this whole weak and strong verb thing…”

 

“Oh, all right,” Phil replied. “It’s not really that different from English verbs…”

 

Dan slowly lowered his hand and watched in surprised fascination as his Alpha slave proceeded to help his little sister quickly comprehend a concept in her worst subject. He happened to know for a fact that Leila had stopped helping her, not because she had too little time, but because she had declared Liz unteachable. The tutor they’d hired for her last year had managed to help her at least pass her exams, and they’d all considered that a stunning result.

 

“Is that all?” he heard his sister saying. “Well, that’s nowhere near as complicated as the book makes it sound.”

 

“It really isn’t,” Phil assured her.

 

“Okay, now can you explain this chapter to me too?” Elizabeth said, her angry expression having magically transformed into a bright smile. 

 

“Of course,” the Alpha said. He was seated cross-legged beside her, leaning down to peer more closely at her textbook.

 

Dan shook himself back to alertness and tiptoed over to the intercom in his room, where he called for Tony to bring up snacks and tea. His sister seemed complacent for now, but he knew from past experience that she was a hungry student.

 

Then he settled himself into a comfortable armchair to wait out the impromptu study session.

 

 

**

 

A couple of hours later, Elizabeth slammed her book shut, and declared herself Finished for the Day.

 

“Thank you, Phil,” she grinned, bending forward to start gathering her materials. “You’re a really good teacher.”

 

Phil blushed. He wasn’t much used to getting compliments.

 

“You’re welcome, Beta Elizabeth,” he replied. He glanced over at the nearby chair where Dan was curled up, sipping a cup of tea and scrolling through his phone.

 

“Hm?” Dan asked, looking up. “Oh, are you finished?”

 

“Yup,” Elizabeth replied, standing with her armful of book and papers. “No more German for me today, please.”

 

“Fine, fine,” Dan said, waving a hand, and then she shot a grin at Phil and hurried out of the room.

 

Dan was looking down at his phone again, so Phil stood from the rug and dusted off the back of his jeans and waited for instructions. At last, Dan looked up at him.

 

“I just added £60 to your account for two hours of tutoring,” he said, giving Phil a wry smile. “That’s what her old tutor used to charge. Does that sound fair to you?”

 

“You…paid me?” Phil asked, confused. He was a slave. Slaves didn’t get paid for serving their masters.

 

Dan raised his eyebrows in faint surprise.

 

“Well, if we’d gotten another tutor for her, we’d have paid them. I think it’s only fair that you get paid the same.”

 

What Dan was saying sounded reasonable, but something about it still made him uncomfortable.

 

“So…you just put the money in my bank account along with my allowance?” he asked, frowning.

 

Dan set his phone down and leaned back a bit to better meet Phil’s eyes.

 

“Would you rather I put it in a separate account?”

 

Phil thought about it. Maybe that was what was bothering him… Because if the £60 from today was payment for tutoring Beta Elizabeth, then all the other money Dan put in his account could be considered payment for…everything else he did for Dan.

 

“I guess,” Phil said. “But…you don’t really have to pay me, Dan. I don’t need money for anything.”

 

“Well, not right now,” Dan returned, standing and walking over to where Phil stood. He took hold of one of Phil’s hands in both of his. “But once you’re free, you’ll need it to live off of until you can find work.”

 

He made a very good point. Phil hadn’t considered that fact before, and yet…he still didn’t like the idea of Dan just giving him money. It made him feel guilty, and somehow _lesser_.

 

“Okay,” he said. “Then please put the money I earned today in a separate account.”

 

Dan nodded and then tilted his head back and smiled up into Phil’s face.

 

“Of course,” he said and then took the hand he held and drew Phil’s arm around his back. “Now where were we…?”

 

Phil felt a plunging sensation in his stomach that reminded him of going up in a very fast elevator. Dan was very good at causing that sensation. He raised his other hand to clasp it around the Omega’s back along with the other, and then he closed his eyes and bent to press their lips together.

 

They kissed for a while before Dan took him by the hand again and led him into the bedroom. He dropped Phil’s hand and then with a coy glance over his shoulder climbed up on the bed and lay back upon the pillows.

 

Phil swallowed. All kinds of ideas were blossoming in his imagination, about taking off the Omega’s clothes and his own and climbing on top of him and lips and tongues and hands— He took a deep, shaky breath and sat down on the edge of the bed beside Dan.

 

The Omega reached a hand up to his face and pulled it down, and Phil followed willingly, his eyes dropping closed again and his lips seeming to find Dan’s almost on their own.

 

He pulled back again after a minute, and Dan slid a hand up his back, the touch sending a pleasant shiver down through his core.

 

“You’re shaking,” Dan murmured, gazing up at him with dark eyes.

 

“I’m nervous,” Phil admitted.

 

“That’s normal,” Dan said, moving his hand up and down slowly, like a parent soothing a crying child. “I was nervous my first time too.”

 

Phil had begun to relax, but those words sent his heart rate skyrocketing again. Did that mean Dan was planning to have sex with him right now? Oh god, was this going to be Phil’s first time? Right now? Today?

 

He wanted to. He definitely wanted to, but…he had no idea what to do, and the thought of having to take off his clothes in front of Dan in bright daylight— He shook his head.

 

“Hey,” Dan said, sitting up and dropping the hand from Phil’s back down to his arm. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. We don’t have to do anything at all, if you don’t feel like it.”

 

Phil nodded. It was laughable, almost, that yawning gap between what he wanted to do and what he seemed able to find the courage to do.

 

“Can we, um, just kiss again?” he muttered.

 

Dan nodded and offered him a reassuring smile. Then he leaned forward, and their lips met again. 

 

It felt like they made out for hours, though when Phil eventually checked the clock later, it had only been about 45 minutes. By then they were both lying on the bed, with Dan underneath him, and his hands slipped under the Omega’s shirt, fingers feeling timidly across his heated skin. Every tiny movement he made drew a response from Dan, whether a sigh or a shiver or a moan. It was intoxicating, knowing that just by touching the Omega he could make him feel so good. His fingers slid a little higher, and without meaning to, grazed across one of Dan’s nipples.

 

The Omega let out a soft cry, and his hips rose to press up against Phil’s body. Phil pulled back from a kiss so he could watch Dan’s face and then brushed his fingertips over the nipple again.

 

“Ahh,” the Omega breathed out, squeezing his eyes shut tight. Phil had already been half hard, but all at once his dick was throbbing. Dan made the hottest sounds. He let his hand drift over to the Omega’s other nipple, grazing it lightly as he had the first one. Dan moaned again and rubbed himself against Phil’s crotch, and the feeling of the Omega’s erection pressing against his own sent hot sparks of excitement bursting through Phil’s abdomen.

 

He pressed his thumb a little more firmly over the nipple, felt it going from soft to erect beneath his touch. He was so focused on the sensation that he didn’t even notice the way he was pushing his own hips down against Dan’s.

 

The Omega let out another whimper of pleasure, and Phil couldn’t help laughing a little in wonder.

 

“Does it really feel that good?” he whispered near Dan’s ear.

 

Dan let out a shaky laugh of his own.

 

“Wanna see for yourself?” he whispered back, and Phil felt one of his hands tugging at the hem of Phil’s shirt. When had that come un-tucked from his jeans?

 

“Okay,” Phil agreed, and then Dan’s hand sneaked under his shirt, soft fingers trailing up his stomach, and _wow, okay_ just that tiny bit of contact was sending sparks shooting through him again. Then the Omega’s fingers reached the site of his left nipple, but instead of touching it, one fingertip circled lazily around it, and Phil was so tense with anticipation that he’d actually stopped breathing.

 

When Dan’s fingertip finally slid over his nipple, he felt an electric jolt of pleasure spread out from that spot. He squirmed and panted as Dan continued to rub his finger around the sensitive skin in small circles until his nipple was fully erect.

 

“You’re so hot when you’re like this,” he heard Dan whisper. “I really want to make you cum.”

 

He really wanted to come too. Somehow all his previous shyness had melted away, and all he could think about was Dan unzipping his jeans and touching him.

 

“Will you?” he panted as Dan’s fingers made their leisurely way over to his other nipple. “Um, like I did to you last night?”

 

He felt Dan’s hand pause in its movements, and he glanced over to see the Omega staring at him, mouth a little open.

 

“You’ll let me jerk you off?” he asked, sounding like he didn’t quite believe what he was hearing.

 

“ _Please_ ,” Phil begged, knowing exactly what Dan had meant last night about thinking he might explode.

 

“Fuck yeah,” Dan muttered, and his hands dropped at once to the button of Phil’s jeans. Phil's hips gave an involuntary upward jerk of excitement in response, and he heard Dan breathe out a small laugh. “It’s nice to know your cock wants this as badly as I do.”

 

Phil’s head was swimming. He felt like he might be dreaming. How could a beautiful, experienced Omega like Dan really be so excited just to touch him? Maybe he was only saying those things to make Phil happy, except that it was so clear from the gleam in the Omega’s eyes and the way his chest heaved up and down that he really was just as excited as he claimed.

 

A shudder passed through Phil’s abdomen as Dan pulled down his zip and then slid his jeans down his legs. Phil helped him get them off, and then the Omega’s palms moved up to stroke over his hips through the cotton of his boxers. He watched Dan’s eyes as they stared down at the outline of his erection.

 

“Holy shit, you’re so big,” Dan whispered, his tone reverent. “Shit, I’d forgotten what an Alpha’s cock was really like.”

 

An uneasy tingle passed through Phil’s body at the Omega’s words.

 

“Is it, uh…okay? I mean, it’s not, um, too big or something?” He was starting to regret agreeing to this. Maybe it would have been better just to stick to getting Dan off—

 

“Fuck no,” Dan said, glaring up at him for a moment. “It’s fucking beautiful.”

 

“Oh,” Phil said, the uneasiness passing as quickly as it had come.

 

The Omega’s eager eyes dropped back toward Phil’s crotch, and then his hands slid over from Phil’s hips toward his hard-on. Phil bit his lip, thinking he might die of anticipation if Dan didn’t hurry up and touch him already, and then the Omega’s hand settled over him, just resting there for a moment before beginning to rub up and down his length.

 

Phil’s eyes squeezed shut and his mouth dropped open, a little whine escaping. How was it that something he’d done to himself dozens of times before could feel so much better when Dan did it?

 

“Can I take off your boxers too?” he heard Dan’s voice whisper in his ear. He nodded, eyes still shut, and then he felt the Omega’s hands sliding under the waistband of his boxers, slipping them down, over his sensitive member and then down his thighs and knees and all the way off.

 

“God, that’s a gorgeous cock,” Dan whispered again. The Omega’s hand touched his bare cock, squeezing it gently, and Phil’s hips jerked up again. “I can’t wait to taste it someday,” Dan’s voice tickled his ear. Fuck. Now he was imagining that too, like he had before — the Omega’s pretty lips stretched over him while those dark eyes watched his face. “You like that idea, huh?” purred the Omega’s voice. “You’re leaking all over me.”

 

Phil whimpered softly as the Omega’s thumb slid over the wet head of his cock, spreading the smooth pre-cum all around the tip. Then he felt another hand, this one rubbing over his cheek, and he opened his eyes to find Dan’s face near.

 

“You look so pretty, all flushed pink,” Dan murmured, eyes glittering as they studied his face and then dropped down to stare at Phil’s cock in his hand. The Omega’s voice somehow made everything so much more intense, velvety and low and matched with the slow up and down motion of his hand over Phil’s twitching erection.

 

He didn’t know how much longer he was going to last.

 

“You feel so good,” he whispered to Dan, happiness thrilling through him when the Omega’s eyes flitted back up to his face.

 

Dan smiled and then leaned in to his ear.

 

“So do you,” he said and pressed a kiss to Phil’s cheek and then his jaw and then his lips, his hand squeezing and pulling at the Alpha’s eager cock all the while.

 

“I’m close,” Phil murmured when the Omega had pulled his lips away again. He was pretty sure he’d been close for the past fifteen minutes already.

 

“Good,” Dan hummed into his mouth and then captured his lips again in a breathless kiss. Their tongues explored one another as Dan sped up the movements of his hand, and Phil came with the taste of Dan on his tongue and his scent filling his nostrils and Dan’s hand gripped around him to squeeze out every last drop of his cum.

 

As the overwhelming sensations began to ebb away, he lay back against the pillows, trying to catch his breath. His head lolled to the side, and he saw Dan lying beside him, propped up on one elbow and smiling down at him with half-lowered eyelids.

 

He smiled back, and then Dan let go of Phil’s spent member and lifted his hand, with Phil’s cum dripping down it, and stuck out his tongue and began to slowly lick it clean, holding Phil’s gaze all the while.

 

Phil’s mouth dropped open a little. To his utter shock, he felt his dick give a little twitch of interest. There was no way he could actually get hard again right now, and yet, Dan’s dark pink tongue lapping up the length of one finger, gathering the trails of thick, white cum and then his satisfied smirk as he swallowed it down — it was enough to make him almost wish he was hard again, just so he could ask Dan to do that to his cock instead.

 

When Dan had licked his hand entirely clean, Phil raised one languid arm, and the Omega let himself be pulled close and kissed hard, until they were both panting from it. There was a new taste on Dan’s tongue this time, his own flavor. Another shiver of pleasure passed through him at the realization.

 

“I want to watch you cum too,” Phil blurted out. Dan grinned at him and placed a kiss on the tip of his nose.

 

“Sure,” he said, and reached down to unbutton his own jeans. When he’d pulled them off, Phil saw that he was wearing regular black boxers today. The sight left him slightly disappointed.

 

“Hoping for something different?” Dan teased.

 

Phil shook his head, watching with interest as Dan slid his boxers down, setting his own erection free. His dick was small and stood straight up against his clean-shaven abdomen. Phil couldn’t help staring at the smooth, pale skin that surrounded the Omega’s dick. He could distinctly remember how soft that skin had felt last night when he’d stroked over it in the dark.

 

“Can you, um,” he mumbled, not able to look up into Dan’s eyes. “I mean, if you want to, could you, um…” His fear of actually _doing_ these kinds of things had started to dissipate, but his fear of asking for them was still firmly in place.

 

“It’s okay,” Dan said, reaching up and stroking his hand over Phil’s cheek. “You can tell me what you want, and I’ll tell you whether I want to do it or not.”

 

Phil nodded and drew a deep breath. He could see a bead of pre-cum resting in the slit of Dan’s red-tipped dick.

 

“Can you cum, like, on me?” he managed to say finally.

 

“Where on you?” Dan asked, one hand still softly caressing his cheek.

 

“Um, anywhere,” Phil stammered, glancing up into Dan’s face at last. The Omega was still smiling at him with those half-hooded eyes. “I just want to feel your cum on my skin.”

 

Dan leaned in and kissed him before sitting up and kneeling beside him. Phil stared at the way the new position made his dick stick out, with the drop of pre-cum sliding down over the head.

 

“Why don’t you take off your shirt,” Dan suggested, regarding him from above with a slight curve of his lips, “and I’ll cum all over your cute, little nipples.”

 

Phil could feel a flush spreading up to his face from his chest, and he didn’t know whether it was embarrassment or excitement. At this point, he didn’t care much. He reached down and quickly undid the buttons of his shirt and sat up to shrug out of it before laying back against the pillows again. He was completely naked now, laid out on the bed below Dan in a position that would have terrified him just a short while ago. He wondered what had happened to all of his terror. 

 

Dan swung a knee over his midsection so that he was straddling him, giving Phil a perfect view of his little dick and two tight, swollen balls underneath.

 

As he watched, the drop of pre-cum dribbled down, forming a shining string that dangled in the air for a moment before dripping onto the bare skin of his chest. He shuddered.

 

“Can I taste it?” he asked, looking up into Dan’s eyes.

 

The Omega’s smile deepened, and he crawled forward until his dick hovered just above Phil’s face.

 

“Go ahead,” he murmured.

 

Phil pushed himself up on his elbows, straining forward until he just managed to lick his tongue over the leaking tip. The liquid gathered there tasted a little salty and felt sticky on his tongue. He lay back and stared up at Dan, biting his lip thoughtfully.

 

“Do you like it?” the Omega asked, tilting his head a bit to one side in curiosity.

 

“It doesn’t really taste like much of anything,” Phil said, shrugging.

 

The Omega let out a ripple of laughter and then scooted back down so his dick hung down over Phil’s chest again.

 

“At least you’re honest,” he said through a grin.

 

“I’m sorry,” Phil said, biting down harder on his lip. “Um, I did like it.”

 

“Good,” Dan replied, reaching down and stroking a hand over himself. “Sometime you can taste more of it then.”

 

Phil nodded, though most of his concentration had shifted to what Dan was doing with his hand. He watched in fascination as the Omega’s cock thickened and grew harder under his own touch. Another bead of pre-cum spilled out from the tip and dribbled onto Phil’s chest.

 

“You like watching me get off, Alpha?” he heard Dan purr and glanced up to see the Omega’s cheeks flushed and his bottom lip hanging open to reveal the wet inner edge. “Like watching me play with my own dick like I just played with yours?”

 

“You’re so hot,” Phil replied, and he was definitely getting hard again now. Fuck.

 

“I’m gonna cum all over you and then lick it off slowly,” Dan gasped, hunching forward a little as his eyes fluttered closed. Phil’s eyes flicked down to where the Omega’s hand was working quickly over his cock, sliding up and down, squeezing more liquid out of the end of it. He could see the way the thin flesh of his foreskin slid snugly over his swollen head each time he rolled his hand up and then slipped back down to bunch at his base again as he slid his hand back down. “Fuck, I’m close,” Dan said, eyes squeezing closed tight.

 

In the bright afternoon sunlight, Phil could see every vein and wrinkle in the Omega’s balls as they tensed and drew up closer to his body, and then his little pink and brown cock was throbbing, spilling thick, white liquid out onto Phil’s chest. It felt warm and sticky everywhere it splattered against him. Dan was moaning, mouth hanging open, and then he fell forward, catching himself with his free hand as he jerked the last bit of cum out onto the skin just above Phil’s belly button.

 

He hovered, panting, over the Alpha for a moment, before opening his eyes and sitting back so that his round bottom rested on Phil’s quivering abdomen.

 

He raised his hand, which had a few drips of cum running down the side and then held it out to Phil.

 

“Want a taste?” he asked, one side of his mouth lifting for a moment in a tired smirk.

 

Phil nodded and leaned up again, licking his tongue over the sticky substance. It was very different from Dan’s pre-cum, tangy and salty with a sort of gamey flavor. He made a face, and was rewarded with a laugh from Dan.

 

“It’s an acquired taste,” the Omega muttered. “Look,” he commanded, and Phil glanced up into his eyes. The Omega raised his eyebrows and then leaned forward, sticking his tongue out and running it over the skin of Phil’s chest, lapping up each tiny puddle of cum that lay there. The warm sensation of the Omega’s tongue against his heated skin made Phil squirm a little. His dick was almost fully erect again.

 

Dan licked his way up Phil’s chest, stopping for a moment at each of his nipples to give them tiny, little jabs with the soft tip of his tongue that left Phil aching for more. When Phil was finally clean again, the Omega bent over his mouth, pressing a long, languid kiss against the Alpha’s lips. Then he collapsed onto Phil’s chest, his own ribcage heaving up and down. Phil could feel the pounding of the Omega’s heart through the thin fabric of his shirt.

 

Phil reached a hand up and brushed his palm over the Omega’s soft hair. He heard Dan sigh and thought he might be falling asleep from the way his breathing was growing deep and slow. For Phil’s part, he could sense the heat from the Omega’s ass just millimeters from the sensitive tip of his swollen cock. He wondered how much longer it would be before he worked up the courage to ask Dan for sex.

 

Maybe Dan wouldn’t even want to have sex when he asked. It seemed absurd to think that, considering the position they were currently in, but Dan could change his mind. Or it could turn out he’d never wanted to have sex with Phil in the first place. He’d seemed surprised at the size of Phil’s dick. Maybe he would decide it was too big after all, that he didn’t want to try to fit that inside him.

 

Phil shifted a little, doing his best not to imagine the Omega trying to fit Phil’s dick inside him.

 

“Hmm,” Dan sighed again. “That was really good.”

 

Phil brushed his hand over the Omega’s hair again and then down his back. When he reached the end of his shirt, he couldn’t quite help his hand from continuing on to cup itself around one of the Omega’s butt cheeks.

 

“Saucy,” Dan muttered and then gave a little yawn. “I’m too tired for anything more right now, though. Sorry.”

 

“That’s okay,” Phil said, lifting his hand and bringing it back up to the Omega’s back. “I’m pretty tired too.”

 

“Liar,” Dan said into his neck. “You’re rock hard. I can feel it.”

 

Phil swallowed.

 

“It’ll go away in a while,” he said.

 

“Mm hmm,” Dan agreed, and now Phil was sure he was falling asleep. “Let’s take a nap and then go see a movie.”

 

“Which one?” Phil asked, stroking his hand slowly up and down the Omega’s back.

 

“Doesn’ ma’er,” Dan mumbled and then didn’t say anything else.

 

Phil just kept rubbing his hand up and down the soft fabric of the shirt stretched over the Omega’s back, smiling to himself. No, it really didn’t matter to him either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are doing well. Sorry this is up a bit later in the day. The next chapter will be on Saturday! :D


	11. Week 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan discovers that defining the relationship can be difficult.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this one. :) Next chapter on Wednesday!

When they woke from their nap, Phil’s prediction had turned out to be right. His erection had subsided, and now the most pressing need he expressed was hunger.

 

Dan called for a snack, and they both took their time showering and dressing again. Over the course of the past week, most of Phil’s clothes had migrated up here to Dan’s wardrobe, so they no longer had to send someone down to fetch him clean ones each time he stayed over.

 

They had just decided to go see the sci-fi movie about a lone hero rising in a dystopian future when Dan’s mobile buzzed on the table beside his computer.

 

He checked it and found it was a message from Leila.

 

**Smelly**

_bridget’s over says it’s been ages since she’s seen you and are you free this evening_

 

Dan grinned to himself. Leila had long since become resigned to his nickname for her — a joke based on his childhood disgust for her strong Alpha scent.

 

**Dan**

_going to a movie with phil soz_

 

A moment later, his phone buzzed with her reply.

 

**Smelly**

_oh great we’ll all go together then soz_

 

He rolled his eyes, but he supposed it wouldn’t be so bad seeing Bridget again. He liked her a lot, despite himself.

 

Bridget was his sister’s Omega girlfriend. They’d been dating for a little over a year now, and it was starting to look like they were on the path toward bonding and marriage. Their parents had met and approved of one another, and though they were both much too young for marriage at the moment, there was a tacit understanding that neither family need seek out another mate for their child.

 

It wasn’t that Dan really disapproved, it was just…

 

He frowned to himself as he remembered the day, just a few weeks before David’s death, when Leila had first told him she thought she wanted to marry Bridget.

 

“But how can you know you won’t ever meet someone else you like better? You’ve never even been with anyone else,” he’d objected.

 

She’d made an indignant noise in response.

 

“I’ve dated loads of other people.”

 

“Yeah, but that was— I mean, like, she’s the only person you’ve ever slept with, right?” He didn’t know quite how to explain that it was ridiculous to marry the first person she’d ever had a serious relationship with.

 

“So what?” Leila had shot back. “I’ve never wanted to sleep with anyone before now.”

 

“Well, how do you know you never will want to?”

 

She’d glared at him for a while, and he knew she wasn’t really angry with him, just at a loss for how to explain herself.

 

“It’s like,” she’d said finally, “like I can’t imagine my life without her. I dunno, maybe I will want to sleep with someone else someday, but I won’t!” she’d growled. “Because I don’t want to lose her, ever.”

 

He’d struggled to reply to that, but had eventually told her, “Marriage is lifelong. You have to think about that. You can’t just rush into it.”

 

She’d shaken her head, glaring at him again.

 

“We aren’t you and David,” she’d said.

 

He’d told her to go fuck herself and slammed out of the room, angry more that she was right than for any other reason. She and Bridget weren’t anything like him and David.

 

Because up until that winter day last year when his Alpha Father had called him into his study and told him someone had offered for him, he’d never once considered the possibility of marrying David. Alpha Howell had gestured him into one of the overstuffed leather armchairs beside the roaring fire, and Dan had immediately caught David’s scent lingering there. He’d guessed the Alpha had sat in that same chair only moments before.

 

“I’ve had an offer of marriage for you,” his Father had said, and Dan had known at once that it was the younger Alpha Chesterworth — not just because of his scent but because he’d seen the way David looked at him, all those times he’d found flimsy excuses to come to Claire’s room when Dan was over or found time to chat with him whenever they ended up at the same party.

 

“David,” Dan had said to his Father, and there hadn’t been a hint of a question in his voice.

 

His Alpha Father had smiled a bit.

 

“I gather this offer isn’t entirely unexpected.”

 

Dan had matched his Father’s small smile and shaken his head, except that had been a lie. Never once had he suspected that David’s interest in him had anything to do with marriage. Sex, yes. He himself had fantasized more than once about what sex with the handsome Alpha might be like, but he’d had a strict no-Alphas before marriage policy. Too risky, in his opinion, and it wasn’t like he’d ever met an Alpha that made him want to change that policy. He’d enjoyed David’s attention but always kept him at a certain distance.

 

“So, how do you feel about the offer?” his Father had asked.

 

“I accept,” Dan had replied at once. Because, now that the idea had been presented to him, it had seemed like the perfect thing. David was handsome, heir to his Alpha Parent’s title and fortune, compatible for bonding, and Dan knew him well enough to feel comfortable around him. It was all he had ever hoped for in a marriage.

 

His Alpha Father’s eyes had taken on a strange disquiet then, and he’d leaned forward, peering at Dan with an earnestness the Omega had never seen on his face before.

 

“Think carefully about your answer, Dan. Marriage isn’t a temporary thing, at least not for people like us. This is a decision you will live with for the rest of your life.”

 

Dan had assured his Father that he would think the matter over further before confirming his decision, but privately, he’d thought there was nothing further to think about. Everything about the match was perfect.

 

They had married just a couple of months shy of Dan’s eighteenth birthday in a ceremony more gorgeous than anything Dan had ever dreamed of. Everyone who was anyone had been there, all for him, and he’d been looking his most radiant. He’d spent months bathed in everyone’s congratulations on the brilliance of his match — his husband’s handsomeness and (implied, though never stated in so many words) his wealth and position in life.

 

And it hadn’t been until the first glow of attention and enjoyment of bonded life had passed that he had begun to realize that David was actually in love with him…and that he was decidedly not in love with David.

 

Worse, David didn’t merely love Dan; he practically worshiped him. Sometimes, rather than make love to him, David would lay him naked on the bed and kiss him from his forehead down to his feet, murmuring all the while how beautiful, how desirable, how glorious every inch of Dan’s skin was, and Dan would cum, not from the touch of his husband’s lips but from the heady sensation of being someone else’s god.

 

But afterward, David would want to lie there and hold him and pour out all of his hopes and fears and insecurities. Sometimes he even cried, worrying that he would never make it, that he wasn’t good enough, that no one would ever notice his art. Dan could only put his arms around him and do his best to hide the fact that he wished the Alpha would go away and burden someone else with his thoughts.

 

Heartless, he knew.

 

Except, never once in his life had it occurred to him that marriage had anything to do with the heart — certainly not after experiencing his parents’ marriage. But even beyond that, no one he’d ever known had married for love. It just wasn't done among their sort of people. That kind of thing was the stuff of movies, of romance novels and tv shows, but not real life.

 

He’d started to feel like he was suffocating, trapped into something he’d never agreed to, but he had tried. Really, he’d tried.

 

So, no, Bridget and Leila were nothing like he and David had been. There was never any question, when he saw the way that Leila looked at her Omega and the way Bridget returned her Alpha’s gaze, that they had fallen deeply in love. And yet…they were still so young, younger even than he’d been when he got married. There was so much time for them to fall out of love again. What if Bridget ended up breaking his sister’s heart the same way he had broken David’s?

 

**Dan**

_fine fine we can go together_

 

**Smelly**

_it’s a date then x_

 

“Is something wrong?” Phil's voice interrupted his thoughts, and he looked up from his phone. “You’re frowning.”

 

“Oh, no, everything’s fine,” Dan said, forcing his expression back into a smile. “Leila wants to know if she and her girlfriend can join us for the movie.”

 

“Oh, is Bridget back from her holiday finally?” Phil asked, eyebrows perking up.

 

Dan stared for a second until he remembered that Phil had mentioned hanging out with his sister some while he was in France. Of course she would have talked to him about Bridget. She hardly ever shut up about her.

 

“Yep,” Dan said, laughing a bit. “Apparently she’s been missing me and wants to hang out.”

 

Phil grinned at him.

 

“I’ll be happy to finally get to meet her.”

 

They found Leila and Bridget waiting for them in the atrium, hand in hand, though as soon as Bridget caught sight of Dan, she dropped the Alpha’s hand and hurried over to him.

 

“How are you? It’s been forever!” she cried, throwing her arms around his neck. She was petite, even for an Omega, so his neck was a bit of a reach for her. He smiled and bent down so that she could get him in a proper hug. He put his arms around her and squeezed her back.

 

“I’m fine,” he told her, “How was Italy?” he added, not wanting to get into one of those conversations he’d had to have all too often as of late — the kind where the person stared sympathetically up at him as though they were just waiting for him to break down and confess how awful he really felt.

 

“Oh, it was lovely,” she cooed, releasing him but then taking hold of his hands and gazing up into his eyes with a warm smile. Her eyes were large and grey and always showed exactly what she was thinking. Right now he could tell that she knew very well he was changing the subject. “I think I got too tan, though.”

 

“You look great,” he assured her. She really did. Her slight tan made her pretty eyes stand out all the more.

 

“Thank you,” she said and let go of his hands, turning toward Phil with a smile. “You must be Phil?”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” Phil replied with a deep bow. “I’m Omega Dan’s slave.”

 

“Very nice to meet you,” Bridget told him and then returned to her Alpha’s side and took her hand again.

 

“We getting dinner before or after?” Leila asked then, looking up from her phone. “You didn’t say which showing you wanted to go to.”

 

“We usually get dinner first,” Dan said and ignored the way Leila raised her eyebrows afterward. She must be perfectly aware of how much time he and Phil were spending together.

 

“Oh, god, I’ve been dying for a good curry,” Bridget said. “Can we go to that one place by the station—“

 

“Oh, yes, please!” Leila chimed in.

 

Dan turned to Phil.

 

“How do you feel about curry?” he asked.

 

Phil’s entire face blushed red, and he mumbled something about how his opinion on the matter wasn’t important.

 

“I think you said you liked curry, didn’t you?” Dan prompted him, trying to meet his eye.

 

Phil’s eyes weren’t budging from where they were fixed on the floor, though he did give Dan a nod and a “Yes, Sir.” Dan turned a gaze on Leila and rolled his eyes, and her eyebrows rose even higher toward her hairline.

 

“Shall we?” was all she said.

 

Much of dinner was taken up with Bridget’s recounting of her summer, which both Dan and Leila encouraged her to go into great detail about. She’d only been back for about a day, and while Dan knew Leila wouldn’t have agreed to go out if they hadn’t already had some time to catch up alone, he guessed they hadn’t used much of that time for talking. Bridget smelled just as strongly of his sister as he did of Phil.

 

Being a polite Omega, Bridget did regularly address questions to the other diners rather than entirely monopolizing the conversation. She even made every attempt to include Phil. But while the Alpha would answer any questions she asked promptly, he didn’t seem very inclined to engage in conversation. It was weird, Dan thought, considering how eager he’d seemed to meet her earlier. He and Phil were sat together in one side of a booth, with Phil on his right so that it was easy for the Alpha to take Dan’s right hand in his left. Dan had reached over and grasped Phil’s hand the minute he’d finished eating, and Phil had clutched his hand back at once.

 

“And how long have you been with Dan now?” Bridget was asking Phil after claiming to have exhausted her supply of interesting stories from the summer. 

 

“Almost two months,” Phil replied, glancing up from his plate to meet her eyes for a moment before looking down again.

 

“Leila tells me you like Mario Kart,” the Omega continued. “Maybe we can all play together sometime.” As she said this last, she cast a glance over at Dan, who, as Phil’s master, was the one she was really asking permission.

 

“Would you like that, Phil?” Dan asked, giving the Alpha’s hand a squeeze as he peered around at him.

 

“I-if that’s what Omega Bridget would like,” Phil stammered. Dan did his best not to frown. He and Bridget were both doing their best to include Phil and make him feel comfortable, but it seemed like everything they did only embarrassed him more.

 

“She would like it,” Leila said then in her commanding tone. “So you two should come over to my room and play tomorrow.”

 

“Yes, Alpha Leila,” Phil replied immediately, shooting her a smile that Dan thought looked relieved. Was that why Phil was acting so strangely? Because he wanted to be told what to do rather than asked? But that didn’t make any sense. Even if Phil was a slave, surely when given the choice, he would prefer not to be bossed around?

 

When they’d returned home from the movie and brushed their teeth and gotten into bed, he asked Phil about it almost at once.

 

“Do you not like it when I ask you about things instead of ordering you to do them?”

 

The lights were off, and he was snuggled up against Phil’s chest, so there was no way he could see his face. His intuition told him that might make it easier for Phil to answer him honestly.

 

“You’re supposed to order me to do things,” Phil responded quietly, tightening his grip around the Omega’s body a little.

 

“But, I mean, that still doesn’t necessarily mean that you _want_ to be ordered,” Dan objected, frowning into the darkness.

 

There was a long silence, and he guessed Phil was thinking through his answer.

 

“I do want to be ordered,” he said finally. “I mean…I don’t really have a choice about being a slave, but as long as I am one, I’d rather not do anything that would get me in trouble and make my life even harder.”

 

“What do you mean?” Dan asked, turning in the Alpha’s arms to better see his face. No matter what his intuition told him, he needed to know how the Alpha was feeling.

 

There was a long crease between Phil’s eyebrows, and Dan’s hand rose at once to smooth over it.

 

“You’re very kind to me, Dan,” Phil told him, letting his eyelids drop closed. “But even so, you still have the power to ruin my whole life…even to have me arrested or executed, if you wanted to.”

 

Dan’s hands paused in their stroking of the Alpha’s face.

 

“I would never—“

 

“You still could, though,” Phil insisted, opening his eyes and gazing into Dan’s in a way that made it impossible for him to look away. “If I ever did anything to offend you, you could destroy me.”

 

A new protest sprang to the tip of Dan’s tongue but died there as the reason of Phil’s words dawned on him. They lay in silence for a moment as another, even more unpleasant thought dawned on the Omega.

 

“So…so all this time, your goal has been to not offend me?” he asked slowly, letting his hand fall from Phil’s face. “And everything you’ve done… When I asked you to kiss me and you said you wanted to? Or…or when I said I needed to get off, and you offered to help—?”

 

“No, no,” the Alpha blurted. “It’s not— I definitely wanted to do those things. I mean, I don’t think I would have done them on my own, if you hadn’t suggested them first, but… I mean, I said no the first time you offered, didn’t I?”

 

Dan breathed a sigh of relief as he recollected that Phil was right. He had turned Dan down the first time he’d offered to get him off. 

 

“Don’t ever, ever do something just because you think I want it,” Dan told him, bringing a hand up to cup his cheek again. “I don’t want to do anything with you that you don’t want too.”

 

Phil’s eyes fell from Dan’s, and he nodded.

 

“I mean, sex especially,” Dan continued, “but that principle applies to everything. Even just going to a restaurant or something. I mean…I guess if you would like it better, I can order you to go with me places or whatever, but—“ He made an exasperated sound. “Look, it’s not very fun for me to go out and do something if I feel like I’m dragging you to it, you know? It’d be more fun just sitting here doing nothing with you than to take you to my favorite place in the world and feel you didn’t really want to be there. You know what I mean?”

 

Phil didn’t look at him and didn’t answer right away. Dan could hear how hard he was breathing and feel the swift rise and fall of his chest.

 

“So, where is this favorite place in the world you’re planning to take me to?” the Alpha asked after a minute, a laugh in his tone, and Dan tipped his head forward onto the other’s chest, shaking it in amusement mixed with just a touch of annoyance.

 

“It’s just an expression, you spoon,” he muttered. “Does that mean you understand?”

 

He felt movement from Phil and then a murmured, “Yeah.”

 

“And, like….you won’t do things with me that you don’t want to do?”

 

Phil didn’t answer, so Dan sighed and decided maybe he shouldn’t push him. He couldn’t deny that Phil was right about the difficulties of his position. Dan knew he would never do any of the things Phil feared, no matter how much he might hurt his feelings, but there was no way Phil could know that.

 

“Did you agree to play games with Leila and Bridget tomorrow because you wanted to?” he couldn’t help asking.

 

“Definitely,” Phil replied. Dan was relieved when he added, with a chuckle, “Alpha Leila beats me at Mario Kart three fourths of the time, but I’m getting better.”

 

“Hmm,” Dan hummed with a secret smile to himself. He couldn’t wait to see Phil’s jaw drop tomorrow when he discovered that Dan was even better at the game than his younger sister.

 

Unfortunately, he was not destined to make that discovery for quite a while yet.

 

On Sunday morning, when Dan woke up, he couldn’t breathe through his nose, and his throat and head both ached. Phil was gone, too, so he struggled up and stumbled into the bathroom to turn on the shower as hot as it would go. Once the water had gotten nice and steamy, he climbed in and let the moist, hot air ease his breathing and the steady pressure of the water ease the throbbing in his head.

 

He’d half fallen asleep again crouched under the soothing stream when he was awakened by the sound of Phil’s voice on the other side of the shower curtain.

 

“Dan? Are you okay?”

 

Dan considered not answering and just moaning in response, but he finally managed a tired “No.”

 

“Okay, you sounded like you were really stopped up when I woke up, so I had Beta Tony bring up some cold medicine, and he said you liked chamomile tea when you were sick, so he brought some of that too.”

 

Without really knowing why, Dan started crying then.

 

“Dan?” Phil said when he didn’t respond. “Do you want to stay in the shower for a bit longer?”

 

Dan reached up and wiped his face and then felt stupid because the water from the shower was already washing away his tears.

 

“I-I’ll get out now,” he sobbed.

 

“Are you crying?” Phil demanded. “What’s wrong?”

 

“It’s nothing,” Dan said, his voice wavering. “I’m just sick. That’s all.”

 

“Okay. I have a towel here for you when you’re ready to get out.”

 

So Dan gulped down his tears and turned off the water and stepped out into a big, fluffy towel that Phil was holding open. The Alpha wrapped it around him at once, peering into his face with concern.

 

“Here, let me get you another one for your hair,” he said, draping the first towel around Dan’s shoulders and reaching for a second. Dan’s face crumpled into tears again, so he stood there crying while Phil ruffled the second towel through his hair and then tossed it aside and used the first towel to dry him off, from his shoulders down to his toes and then his face last of all.

 

“I brought you a change of clothes,” came the Alpha’s timid voice when Dan was completely dry. “Do you want me to help you with them?”

 

Dan shook his head, trying to pull himself together. He had no idea why he couldn’t seem to stop sobbing.

 

“I c-can do it.”

 

“Okay,” Phil said. “I’ve got your tea and medicine next to the bed. Just come out when you’re ready.”

 

Once Phil was gone, Dan wiped his face a few more times and then pulled on the boxers and pajamas the Alpha had brought him. He was feeling calmer now. He’d probably just been crying because being sick made him feel so miserable. That’s all it was.

 

He found Phil sat on his bed with his laptop, and he made his way over and crawled back under the covers at once.

 

“Ready for your medicine?” Phil asked, setting the laptop aside and hopping down from the bed.

 

Dan lay back against his pillows and nodded. He let the Alpha pour out a dose of the cold medicine and spoon it into his mouth and then place a hot cup of tea between his hands. He sipped at it, feeling the warmth and the soothing scent spread out through his head. That, combined with the incipient effects of the medicine, made him so drowsy that he didn’t even notice when Phil took the cup from his hands as he slipped off into sleep.

 

When he woke later, Phil was dozing beside him, and he was feeling a little clearer headed. He sat up and frowned down at the Alpha. Then he checked the clock. He’d been asleep for nearly three hours.

 

Even that small bit of activity left him feeling exhausted, so he lay back down again and watched Phil’s sleeping face, waiting for him to wake up.

 

The Alpha stirred only a few minutes later, with a sharp intake of breath. His eyes popped open, and then he smiled at Dan.

 

“How are you feeling?” he asked, voice scratchy from sleep.

 

“You should go,” Dan replied, his own voice scratchy from his sore throat. “You’re going to get sick.”

 

“Probably,” Phil agreed, pushing himself up off the bed and into a sitting position. “Is it time for your next dose yet?”

 

“Phil,” he said, frowning again. “I mean it.”

 

The Alpha gazed down at him with a considering expression.

 

“Of course, if you order me to go, Dan, I will. However, something I learned growing up is that when one person in a household gets sick, everyone will be sick before long if you don’t keep the sick person carefully quarantined. I’ve already been exposed, so I’m probably going to get sick no matter what. For you and me, a cold is just a hassle, but for an elderly person like Beta Tony and a few of the other house slaves, it could be very dangerous, so I think it’s best if I’m the one to take care of you.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Dan had never considered the fact that taking care of him when he was sick could be dangerous for his personal attendant. Tony was just supposed to always be there whenever Dan needed, like he’d been for Dan’s whole life. He shivered, rolling closer to Phil, and the Alpha put out his hand at once and smoothed it over his back.

 

“That’s why I had him just bring up your medicine and tea and leave it in the sitting room.”

 

“Okay,” Dan mumbled into Phil’s jean-covered thigh. He must have gotten dressed while Dan was asleep.

 

He felt the hand at his shoulders slide up to the back of his neck, giving it a little squeeze that made his eyes drop closed in pleasure, and then moving further up. The fingers of the Alpha’s hand wove themselves into his hair, gently stroking until he found himself drifting into sleep again.

 

He slept for most of the rest of the day, waking intermittently for doses of medicine or meals. After lunch, he stayed awake for just long enough to text his and Phil’s apologies to Leila.

 

**Dan**

_sick. phil’s taking care of me. tell bridget we’re very sorry and let’s do it another time_

 

**Smelly**

_she says sorry your sick but she’s sure phil will take good care of you_

 

**Dan**

_*you’re_

 

**Smelly**

_fuck off and die already_

 

**Dan**

_soz. can’t. phil’s too good at taking care of me :/_

 

**Smelly**

_yeah i’ll bet he is_

 

**Dan**

_don’t be gross_

 

**Smelly**

_your illness is impairing your sense of humor. get well soon_

 

**Dan**

_:P_

 

He wasn’t sure what Phil did all day, except that every time he woke, Phil was near, ready to spring into action and bring him anything he needed.

 

Monday was much the same, though he was awake for more of it, and he and Phil finally got back to finishing _Cowboy Bebop_. He couldn’t really handle staying awake for more than one episode at a time, though, so it was pretty slow going.

 

They finished the show on Tuesday, when Dan was feeling mostly better, just tired and a little sniffly, and Phil was starting to feel the same — tired and a little sniffly.

 

Phil woke sick Wednesday morning, which happened to be the first morning Dan woke feeling normal, so they switched positions, with Dan calling for everything Phil needed and helping him take his medicine. Dan hadn’t left his room for four days now, but he’d taken Phil’s warning to heart and found ways to occupy himself there while Phil slept. Really, it wasn’t so different from most of the past five months. Yet again he was cooped up in his depressing suite of rooms. At least this time he wasn’t alone.

 

On Thursday afternoon, when Phil had drifted back into a deep sleep after lunch, Dan sat beside him and watched for a while the way his chest rose and fell with each breath. Then, hesitantly, he stretched out a hand and stroked it over the Alpha’s hair, just as he had done for Dan when he was sick. His hair was very soft and silky smooth.

 

It finally occurred to him why he had cried the other day, when Phil had come in and suddenly made everything better.

 

The way Phil treated him, the way he took care of him, the way he kissed him and held him and saw to his every single need — it was so obvious the Alpha was falling in love with him. And that’s what had made him cry: he’d let Phil fall for him, knowing full well that in a few more months, he would have a new Alpha and Phil would have to leave him forever.

 

How could he have been so careless?

 

He’d dragged the Alpha down this path almost against his will, and the further he led him along it, the more painful the eventual end would be.

 

It wasn’t until Saturday that they were both back at 100% again. Dan learned of Phil’s recovery when the Alpha woke him that morning by pulling him close and pressing slow kisses all across his face.

 

“Morning,” he mumbled when he finally regained consciousness. “Feeling better?”

 

“Mm hmm,” Phil hummed, placing a kiss in the corner of Dan’s jaw, just beneath his ear. It was a very low-key form of contact, but Dan hadn’t gotten off for a full week now, and his body was waking right up under Phil’s touch. For a moment, he wavered, wanting nothing more than just to lose himself in the comfort and warmth of the Alpha’s affection.

 

But no. No, he couldn’t do that. He reached up a hand and placed it on Phil’s shoulder, pushing him gently away.

 

“Phil, wait,” he said, breaking out of the Alpha’s embrace and sitting up. Phil blinked up at him for a moment and then sat up too.

 

“What is it?” Dan could clearly hear the suppressed panic in his voice. He was sorry for it, knowing as he did now that Phil lived in constant anxiety that his master might suddenly turn on him.

 

He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

 

“What does…what does any of this mean to you?” he murmured, glancing up at Phil’s drawn face and then down at the duvet again. “When we kiss or…or anything else?”

 

“Does it have to mean anything?” Phil’s answer came so quickly that Dan wondered if he’d been anticipating a conversation like this.

 

“Yeah,” Dan replied, smoothing a hand across the duvet that covered his knee. “I think it does. Because I think you have feelings for me, so…I don’t think it can mean nothing when your feelings are involved.”

 

There was a pause.

 

“Isn’t that something you should let me decide?”

 

“Yeah, of course it is,” Dan muttered, his hand still sliding up and down the soft expanse of duvet. “But I get to decide my own part in all of this as well, and forgive me if I don’t much feel like being the person who breaks your heart.”

 

“Who says my heart will get broken?” Phil returned.

 

Dan sighed.

 

“Because you’re new to all of this,” he said matter-of-factly, staring down at the black cloth over his lap. “Don’t pretend like you’re all hard and can carry on like we have been without getting hurt. Not when we both know this can only be temporary. The sooner I put an end to it, the less you’ll end up getting hurt.”

 

“The less I’ll end up getting hurt,” Phil repeated, “but not you? Your heart isn’t in any danger of getting broken at all?”

 

He shook his head. It was hard not to roll his eyes, too.

 

“Phil, this is what I _do_. I fuck pretty people and then I leave them when I get bored. I’ve been trying to tell you this nicely, but if you’re going to force me to be blunt—“

 

“So, that’s all this is?” the Alpha’s voice cut him off, low and intense. Dan couldn’t tell if he was angry or just upset. “Just amusing yourself until it’s time to move on?”

 

That forced a bitter laugh from Dan.

 

“How could it ever have been anything different? I told you my Alpha Father is finding me a new spouse. And then he’ll free you, and we’ll go our separate ways. That’s always been the plan.”

 

“Right,” Phil said. “And that’s why I kept waking up to find you in my bed in the middle of the night, why you kept begging me to hold you and comfort you. That’s because it’s always been nothing but sex for you, right?”

 

“But that was your _job_ , Phil,” Dan said, whirling on him. The Alpha was sitting, back perfectly straight, staring at Dan with a steady gaze. “That’s what you were here to do — comfort me, take care of me for as long as I needed you.”

 

“And you don’t need me anymore now? Is that what you’re saying?” The Alpha’s tone sounded more incredulous than anything.

 

“I won’t once I have a new Alpha,” Dan shot back, raising his eyebrows.

 

Phil winced.

 

“No, of course you won’t need me then,” he returned quietly, “but I was asking about right now.”

 

Dan swallowed.

 

“For now, I need you to help me convince my Alpha Father I’m not on suppressants. That’s it.”

 

Now it was Phil’s turn to laugh.

 

“That’s it. Okay,” he said. He swung away, jumping down onto the floor and turning back to level a challenging gaze at Dan. “If that’s all you need me for, then I guess I can return to my own quarters now. May I be excused?”

 

Dan could feel that his hand was shaking where it now clutched the fabric of the duvet tightly in his fist.

 

“Yes, if that’s what you would like,” he murmured. His voice sounded surprisingly calm to his own ears.

 

“No, but it seems as if it’s what you would like,” Phil said.

 

Dan’s gaze dropped down to his whitened knuckles bunched in the duvet. His raised knees hid that hand from Phil’s view.

 

“Of course I wouldn’t like it. I enjoy having you around, Phil.”

 

“Because I amuse you?”

 

“Because I enjoy having you around,” Dan repeated.

 

“Right,” Phil said. “I guess I’ll go then. You’ll summon me when you want me again, I’m sure, Omega Dan.”

 

A response rose to Dan’s lips, but he could hear the Alpha’s footsteps already taking him away. He held his tongue. It was better for him to leave anyway, better not to let him stay and get his hopes up.

 

His phone buzzed on his bedside table at the same time he heard the door into the corridor click shut in the other room.

 

It was difficult to see the screen through the blur of tears in his eyes, but he picked it up and looked anyway.

 

**Smelly**

_you two still sick??? come plaaaaay with me i’m booooooooored_

 

He tossed the phone onto the bed beside him, doubled over, and sobbed into his knees. That was so like his sister — so like him, too. It was just how they’d been raised, he supposed: to treat other people as though they existed solely for their amusement. Maybe he’d had it all wrong. Maybe Bridget wasn’t the one who was going to break his sister’s heart after all.

 

His phone buzzed again after a moment, but he ignored it, choosing instead to roll himself up inside his duvet, determined to never come out again.


	12. Weeks 9-11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Phil both make some tough decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for posting this late! It's a long chapter, so it took longer to write and edit than I expected. I'll be busy this weekend, so unfortunately the next chapter will need to wait until next Tuesday. Thank you for your patience and for reading. <3

On Sunday morning, Dan’s phone buzzed after breakfast with a text from Claire demanding to know why it had been so long since he’d been over to see her. His first inclination was to blow her off as he’d done with Leila the day before with some excuse about being too tired. But then he thought how nice it would be to get out of this room for the first time in a week and to see Claire again, so he messaged her saying they should do lunch. She returned with an invitation to come join her and her Alpha for lunch at their place instead.

 

So one o’clock found Dan in the Trentons’ small, informal dining room enjoying a lunch of cold pasta salad and chicken in mushroom sauce. Dan liked Claire’s Alpha, Louisa, other than the smoking, and was at the moment enjoying her recounting of the time she ended up being taken to a brothel by a business contact for what was supposed to be a quick, working lunch.

 

“There I stood, stack of contracts in one hand and Starbucks latte in the other, while no fewer than three scantily-clad Omegas were hovering around and trying to convince me to engage their services,” she said, reaching for her wine glass and taking a small sip. Dan was in stitches, and Claire, who he guessed had heard this story a few times before, was rolling her eyes. 

 

“Then Alfred — the arsehole who had brought me there in the first place — pointed to two of them and said he wanted them for himself, but I could have the other, and that’s when I told him I didn’t really see our companies working together again in the future,” Louisa finished with a pursing of her thin lips and a toss of her long, dark waves.

 

“Ha, served him right,” Dan observed after catching his breath.

 

“Yes, I think it might have gotten him fired, actually,” Louisa said, sounding completely unconcerned. “Of course, that was during my life B.C. — Before Claire—“ She paused and offered her Omega a quick wink that she returned with a coy smile, “—but still, assuming that just because I was single I’d be interested in buying sex!”

 

“Isn’t that just what Alphas _do_ , though?” Dan mused, taking a sip of his own wine. “I mean, not hiring prostitutes, but, like, having business lunches at strip clubs, that sort of thing.”

 

Louisa shrugged, sitting back in her chair a bit.

 

“Oh, I suppose that sort of thing is still quite common, but taking someone to an actual _brothel_ is just a touch too far.” She sipped from her glass while squinting off into the distance for a moment. “Something about those kinds of places just gives me an eerie feeling, anyway. It doesn’t matter how good-looking the Omegas are. Everything is fake, and you _know_ it’s fake.”

 

Dan noticed then that Claire was frowning and darting a sideways look at him. He wondered why.

 

“Plenty of Alphas seem to disagree with you,” Dan said, focusing his attention back on Louisa, “though I never had to worry about that sort of thing with David, fortunately.”

 

The Alpha’s expression softened and she gave him a sympathetic smile.

 

“No, David wasn't the type, was he? Too sweet by far to want to buy someone just for sex.”

 

That’s when it clicked inside Dan’s brain why exactly Claire had been looking at him like that. His cheeks flushed furiously and he turned back to his food, taking his time to very carefully slice off another bite of chicken.

 

“I can’t believe it’s been nearly six months,” Claire said then. “I think I still haven’t fully grasped that he’s gone.”

 

“Nor I,” Dan agreed, grateful she had steered the conversation into a new vein. “I keep thinking that if I just go home to our flat, he’ll be waiting for me there.”

 

“I know,” Claire said and then added with a small laugh, “I keep expecting him to show up out of the blue and then stay for dinner without being invited.” 

 

Dan and Louisa both joined in her laughter.

 

“He always was just a bit _gauche_ , wasn’t he?” Louisa said. “Could charm the pants off you, though.”

 

“Yeah, he was the charmingest fucker ever born,” Dan grinned at her.

 

Claire then started in with a story about the ridiculous lengths David had gone to to win over his first ever boyfriend, and then Dan shared the time David had wined and dined the owner of a very prestigious gallery into exhibiting his works despite his lack of name recognition, and before long they were all cry-laughing over the late Alpha’s antics.

 

On the way home, Dan found himself smiling in contentment. The chance to talk about David normally, without having to feign depths of sorrow he had never really felt, had been such a relief.

 

His smile stayed firmly in place until the moment he arrived once more in his own quarters, where Phil’s scent hung heavy in the air but the Alpha was nowhere to be seen.

 

He could call for him. That’s what he thought as he slid between his cold sheets all alone that night after turning out the light. He could send for the Alpha, have him come join him, warm him and the bed both. Phil would come, too, perhaps even willingly. But what good would it do either of them to continue as though there could ever be anything between them?

 

The truth was, he’d never needed comfort so much as he’d needed distraction. Phil had provided both, and far better than he’d ever dreamed, but that only made their situation worse. Why couldn’t he have found someone like Édouard to distract him? Someone he wouldn’t mind using and then discarding as soon as things were over? Why had he ever given in to his Alpha Father’s plan to buy him an Alpha slave? He’d known better. He truly had.

 

_But if you hadn’t given in, you never would have found Phil._

 

Against his will, the thought blossomed in his mind, but he shoved it away at once. What good had it done, bringing Phil into his life? Well, besides all the fun they’d had together…and the fact that it might have saved Phil from going to someone who would have used him in far worse ways. If he was honest with himself, he couldn’t really believe that breaking the Alpha’s heart was worse than what some other people might have done to him.

 

An unpleasant shudder passed through his stomach at the thought, and he remembered Louisa’s words from earlier: _those kinds of places just give me an eerie feeling_. Sex workers at the kinds of places Louisa frequented — the expensive, high-end ones — weren’t slaves, as it was illegal to sell one’s slave as a prostitute. He knew, though, that there were plenty of places that did use slaves illegally. What if Phil had ended up in that sort of situation? The thought made him sick.

 

He thought about what Phil had said before — reminding Dan that he had the power to ruin the Alpha’s entire life, and before that, the doubts he’d expressed about Dan’s Father being willing to set him free. Suddenly, Dan felt even sicker.

 

What if Alpha Howell _did_ want to re-sell Phil? What could Dan do to stop him?

 

Of course, his Father would never sell any of their house slaves. They were practically part of the family and would serve the Howells until they no longer could, at which point they would be relieved of their duties and cared for by the other house slaves until the end of their lives. That’s what had happened with Dan’s old Beta nanny, who had raised not only him and Leila but also his Father and his Father’s siblings. She’d lived in her room in the slave quarters, with frequent visits from those she had once cared for, until just a couple of years ago, when she had finally passed away.

 

But Dan doubted that his Father or any other slave owner would give a slave like Phil the same treatment. It had never occurred to Dan before to worry much about the fates of slaves, but that night he couldn’t sleep at all, lying awake until dawn worrying about Phil’s future.

 

**

 

While Dan was over at the Trentons’, Phil was spending the afternoon with Alpha Leila and Omega Bridget. The Alpha had sent Alex to find him and demand he fulfill their plans for Mario Kart, and he had obliged with a smile.

 

“Apparently Omega Bridget is very eager to challenge you to a few rounds,” Alex murmured to him as they made their way up the back stairs. “Since she heard you actually beat Alpha Leila a few times.”

 

“Oh god, I hope she isn’t expecting much,” Phil muttered, and the Beta laughed.

 

“No, I know Omega Bridget pretty well by now, and I think she’s really just interested in getting to know you better,” Alex confided.

 

“Why?” Phil asked, puzzled. He was just Dan’s slave, after all, and a temporary one at that.

 

Alex raised their eyebrow, pausing near the head of the stairs.

 

“Well, you didn’t hear it from me,” they said in a very low voice, “but Alpha Leila has expressed a belief that her brother plans to keep you long-term.”

 

Phil’s stomach dropped, and he shook his head.

 

“I hate to contradict Alpha Leila, but there’s no way that will ever happen. Alpha Howell has plans for Omega Dan to marry again, after all.”

 

“Of course,” Alex replied, turning away and beginning to climb the stairs again, “but Omega Dan also has a mind of his own. I can assure you of that.”

 

Phil smiled bitterly to himself behind the Beta’s back. He needed no assurance on that point.

 

Playing games with Dan’s sister and her Omega was fun, except that they kept wanting to talk to him about Dan. First it was, “Is Dan really feeling better? He said he was too tired to come play!” and then, “Maybe he’s so tired because you’re keeping him up too late,” accompanied by suggestive chuckles. He supposed they were trying to get him to relax by bringing up a topic they shared a common interest in, but they couldn’t have chosen a worse thing to talk about.

 

He stumbled his way through the conversation, wishing they would get bored of him and send him away again soon.

 

“We really should go out together again sometime, just the four of us,” Alpha Leila said after a lull in the conversation. “Our last little double date was fun.”

 

Phil cringed. He was pretty sure Dan would strongly object to the outing being referred to as a “date.” The Omega seemed bent on denying there was anything the least bit romantic in their relationship.

 

Phil forced a smile.

 

“I’d like that,” he said. 

 

“Me too,” Omega Bridget chimed in with a warm smile. 

 

Phil stared down at the controller in his hands and nodded mechanically. They would have to ask Dan before inviting him out anywhere, anyway. Let Dan come up with the excuses.

 

“Alex, can you take Bridget out and show her the new plantings in the garden,” Alpha Leila said all of a sudden, causing Phil’s ears to prick up. “She said she’d like to see them.”

 

There was a brief pause, and then Omega Bridget seconded the Alpha’s suggestion with a murmur in her soft, well-bred voice.

 

A minute later, Phil was sat alone with Alpha Leila, who had paused their game.

 

“What’s wrong with you and Dan?” she asked at once, and his head jerked up involuntarily. She was leveling a cool, serious gaze at him that made him want to fidget. “Were you really both sick this past week?”

 

“Yes, we were sick,” Phil said.

 

Her eyes narrowed.

 

“Why did Alex have to go to the slave quarters to find you? Did Dan send you away?”

 

Phil’s eyes skittered away from hers.

 

“N-no, Alpha Leila.” 

 

“Hmm,” he heard her say. “I guess it’s not really any of my business what happens between the two of you.”

 

Phil stayed silent. He personally agreed with that statement, but it wasn’t his place to say it.

 

“You can go now,” she said after a moment, so he nodded, hopped to his feet, and murmured a good-bye.

 

“Phil,” she called as he turned toward the door.

 

“Yes, ma’am?”

 

“I like you,” she said. “I hope we have you around for a long time.”

 

“Thank you, Alpha Leila,” he muttered, voice so low he wasn’t sure she would hear it, and then he fled.

 

**

 

Leila burst into his room on Monday afternoon without even so much as a knock. She found him in the sitting room, sprawled on the floor with his laptop in front of him.

 

“Tell me what’s going on with you and Phil,” she commanded, plopping down beside his laptop and pushing it away. “I know something’s wrong. I can smell it.”

 

Dan blinked up at her for several seconds, too shocked to speak.

 

“Well?” she demanded.

 

“It’s none of your fucking business,” he finally managed, reaching out and slamming his laptop closed. “Phil and I are fine.”

 

“It’s none of my fucking business that you and Phil are fine?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. 

 

“No, it’s not,” he said, pushing himself up off the floor and standing. “Why do you care anyway? Phil is my slave, not yours.”

 

She jumped up too, staring him down, eye to eye.

 

“You’re in love with him,” she said.

 

Dan made a disgusted sound.

 

“I’ve never been in love with a single person in my life,” he returned, “nor do I ever plan to be.”

 

“That’s a stupid plan, and even if it wasn’t—“

 

“I’m _not_ in love with my Alpha slave,” he cut her off. “How ridiculous can you be?”

 

She took a deep breath and then squared her shoulders. She had that stubborn look in her eyes, the one that reminded him of a dog that’s got hold of a bone it likes and won’t let go of.

 

“You don’t think our Mum and Dad have fucked me up just as much as they did you?” she said. “It took me ages to admit to Bridget that I was in love with her and even longer to reconcile myself to the idea of maybe marrying her.”

 

The memory of that previous conversation sprang to the forefront of his mind — Leila’s tentative, “I think I want to marry her,” and his angry reaction. He shook the thought away.

 

“I’m happy for you, Leila,” he said. “I truly am, but you’re not me, you know? Just because you’ve found someone doesn’t mean that you have the right to start trying to force me into a relationship too.”

 

She rolled her eyes and threw up her hands.

 

“Oh, yes, _force you_ into a relationship that you’ve already been in _for months_. Good one!”

 

“It’s not a relationship,” Dan shot back, crossing his arms over his chest. “He’s a _slave_ for Christ’s sake.”

 

“He’s the first person you’ve ever been able to love,” Leila returned, crossing her arms over her own chest.

 

Dan scoffed.

 

“You make it sound like I’m some kind of sociopath—“

 

“You know what I mean,” she barked, shaking her head, clearly frustrated. “Like, romantically. Look, I’m not saying you should marry him or something, but…you’re in love with him, and he’s in love with you. If you can’t at least accept that, then you can’t decide what you’re going to do about it.”

 

Dan bit back the angry retort that sprang to his lips and took a deep breath to calm himself.

 

“Leila,” he said, keeping his voice as even as he could, “I appreciate your concern for me. I really do, but my relationship with Phil is none of your business. Please stay out of it.”

 

She uncrossed her arms, shaking her head slowly.

 

“You’re an idiot,” she muttered and then pushed past him and stalked out of the room.

 

He stood staring after her, brain whirring with all of the witty responses he should have given her, heart pounding with his overheated blood.

 

She meant well. He knew she did, but Leila had always been too much the idealist, ready to see a way where there was none. Even if he _was_ in love with Phil — even if the ache in his chest that felt like some part of him had gone missing was, in fact, love — nothing could ever come of it. He couldn’t justify keeping Phil a slave just so he could keep him near. No more could he imagine himself marrying Phil once he was free….if that was something Phil even wanted.

 

There was just no future for them, and he saw no point in pretending otherwise. He walked over and quietly shut the door that his sister had left standing open. It was better this way, for both of them.

 

And yet, despite this firm resolve, Dan ended up sleeping very poorly that night and for several nights afterward.

 

**

 

On Thursday afternoon, a groggy Dan checked his email and found a message that made him raise his eyebrows in surprise.

 

 

**_Celia_** <[ _celia@howellcorp.net_](mailto:celia@howellcorp.net)>

_to me_

 

_Omega Chesterworth:_

 

_Good afternoon. Alpha Howell has instructed me to remind you that your Alpha slave will most likely experience his next rut either late this month or early next. In light of this, Alpha Howell has requested I assist you in making any necessary preparations. I am happy to purchase any items your Alpha slave requires for his rut, or if you prefer, below I have provided the details of an Omega service with which I can set up an appointment for you at your convenience. They can arrange for either you or your slave to select a suitable Omega for his use._

 

_Please let me know how you wish to proceed with this matter._

 

_Sincerely,_

 

_Celia Battersee_

 

He read the email through at least twice without fully comprehending it. Of course he knew Celia, his Dad’s personal assistant. His Alpha Father had insisted on hiring someone for the position rather than purchasing a trained slave, claiming that he would never trust a slave anywhere near his business matters. Just that simple greeting she’d used “Omega Chesterworth:” spoke volumes about the difference between her relationship to Dan and that of the house slaves — the difference between someone who was a member of the household and someone who was outside it. Celia was always quite punctilious about maintaining the correct distance in her interactions with the Howell family, something her employer greatly appreciated.

 

Dan frowned down at her email as he read it through for the third time. When his Dad had bought Phil, he’d told Dan that the Alpha had just finished his rut, and Phil himself had confirmed that. Dan should have known it would be coming around again soon, but somehow the matter had completely slipped his mind. It hadn’t occurred to him until just now how close together Phil’s rut and his heat were. Already nearly in sync.

 

He pushed that thought aside, though, and concentrated on the real question the email presented: What was he going to _do_ about Phil’s rut?

 

There was the obvious option — the one that his Father and Celia both seemed to have already discarded. Dan could help Phil with his rut himself, except that it could be extremely uncomfortable to be knotted when one wasn’t in heat. He’d had to go through that with David several times, as their cycles had been slow to match up. It was doable, but most Omegas in Dan’s position would have considered it beneath them to accommodate a slave in that manner.

 

For Dan’s part, he was setting aside that option for an entirely different reason. 

 

Rut suppressants were also available, just like heat suppressants, but those were out of the question, considering that suppressants would render Phil incapable of knotting him during his supposed heats. Besides, it would be pushing their luck just a bit too far, he thought, to try to fake both his heats _and_ Phil’s ruts.

 

He could have Celia buy toys for Phil to use, or, hell, he could even take Phil shopping and let him pick out whatever he liked — except he distinctly remembered discussing Phil’s rut with him once and Phil talking about the dolls they’d given him with absolute disgust. He doubted Phil would really want to go that route again. He wondered, if he just asked Phil what he wanted, would he get the real answer? Or would Phil just tell him whatever he thought least likely to offend his master?

 

Dan sighed and turned his thoughts to the last option, the “Omega service” — a prostitute, basically, one who specialized in helping Alphas with their ruts. They would wear a special protective pad over their bonding gland that the Alpha could bite down on without accidentally bonding with them and might even use the same sort of lubricant with artificial heat pheromones that he and Phil had used to fake his heat.

 

It was a very common service used by single Alphas to get through their ruts — those who could afford it, at least. Well, he could at least suggest it to Phil. If he was careful in the way he offered the options, perhaps the Alpha would choose what he actually wanted.

 

He was on the verge of sending for Phil when he thought better of it. 

 

_You’ll summon me when you want me again, I’m sure._

 

No, he didn’t want to give Phil false hope that he’d changed his mind about the two of them. Instead, he headed down to the slave quarters himself, knocking at Phil’s door and then, when he gained no response there, wandering over to the kitchen. The house slaves there gaped at him in surprise but eventually directed him to try Beta Elizabeth’s quarters — apparently she’d sent her personal slave down to find Phil for more German tutoring.

 

Dan headed up the stairs to the family wing, making a mental note to ask Elizabeth how many hours Phil had tutored her so he could see to it he got paid.

 

His sister called him inside after a light knock, and he slipped in and, saying he needed Phil once he was done, settled himself in her window seat, near the desk where the two of them were working.

 

Elizabeth turned at once back to her books, but he noticed that Phil’s gaze lingered, unreadable, on him for a long time after he’d sat down.

 

It took another twenty minutes or so for the tutoring session to wind down, and then Dan made sure to find out from Elizabeth how long it had lasted so he could pay Phil later.

 

“Thanks, Phil!” his sister said with a wide grin on her face as they were finally leaving.

 

“You’re welcome, Beta Elizabeth,” he replied with a polite bow.

 

Dan turned to lead the way out the door then, so he couldn’t see whether Phil followed him promptly or if he was gazing at him with that same unreadable stare. He led him, not to his own quarters, but back down to Phil’s room in the slave quarters, pausing at the door to let Phil open it himself and lead him inside.

 

As he stepped into the small, neat room again, his heart clenched. He’d missed coming here.

 

But that was beside the point.

 

“I’m sorry to bother you—“

 

“Are you really?” Phil interjected, taking a seat in his desk chair and gazing up at Dan with raised eyebrows.

 

“I am,” Dan said in a quieter voice. He sucked in a deep breath and then let it out again. He shut the door behind him and walked over to take a seat at the end of Phil’s bed. “I came to find you to ask your preference for handling your upcoming rut.”

 

That made the Alpha’s eyebrows lower and his back straighten.

 

“My preference?” he asked slowly.

 

“Yes, you have a choice,” Dan explained, keeping his tone as brisk and matter-of-fact as possible. “Unfortunately, suppressants are out of the question, but I can take you to buy whatever toys or other items you might find useful— No, I didn’t think you would like that option very much.” The Alpha had grimaced in response to this first suggestion. “The other option is to hire an Omega to assist you with it.”

 

Phil blinked at him in incomprehension for a moment, and then his brows snapped together.

 

“You mean bring in someone like me?” he asked.

 

“Not a slave, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Dan corrected him. “A professional, in fact, who will be well-trained in helping you.”

 

“Oh,” Phil said, his gaze dropping down to his hands, which rested, still, on his thighs. “Someone who knows what they’re doing.”

 

“Yes, exactly,” Dan said, doing his best to ignore the deeper implications of the Alpha’s words. “Is that the option you would prefer? Or would you like more time to consider it?”

 

The Alpha sat in silence for a minute or so. When he replied, his voice was slow and halting.

 

“And…you would be okay with that…um, with that option?” he asked.

 

Dan nodded but then realized Phil wasn’t looking at him.

 

“Yes, if that’s what you would prefer,” he said.

 

The Alpha’s eyes glanced up at him.

 

“You wouldn’t want to…”

 

“No,” Dan said, keeping his tone firm.

 

There was another silence before the Alpha spoke again.

 

“Why can’t I go on suppressants?”

 

Dan bit his lip and quelled the uneasy feeling in his stomach.

 

“Because an Alpha on suppressants is incapable of producing a knot,” he explained. “We would have to keep it a secret, but my Alpha Father knows exactly when your rut is supposed to be. You’d either have to fake it very convincingly for three days straight or…pretend to go through it with me.”

 

He couldn’t meet the Alpha’s eyes any longer when he saw the eager gleam his words kindled in them.

 

“I, um, I think I would prefer to try that,” he said, clearly trying to hide his excitement.

 

“Phil,” he began, letting out a deep sigh, “the more times we fake it, the more likely we are to get caught…”

 

He let his eyes drift up to the Alpha’s face and nearly winced at the stricken look on it.

 

“Oh,” he said. “I guess you’re right.”

 

Dan drew both lips in between his teeth and nodded, his eyes glancing away again.

 

“It’s just…” Phil said, and he braced himself, “I just don’t want my first time to be like that, you know? With some stranger…someone who’s only there because they were paid to be. I want it to be…different.”

 

Dan closed his eyes, knowing exactly what the Alpha wanted.

 

“So, would you prefer to buy some toys to use instead?” he asked.

 

The silence from Phil was almost tangible in its disappointment.

 

“No,” he said after a time in a very low voice, “No, you can hire someone.”

 

“All right,” Dan said, sucking in a breath and jumping up from the bed. He was very careful not to meet Phil’s eyes again. “I’ll make the arrangements. A representative should come by early next week to help you select a suitable candidate.”

 

“Oh,” he heard the Alpha say and then nothing else.

 

“I’ll have Tony let you know the details once the appointment has been arranged.”

 

Phil stayed completely silent, so he left then, pulling the door to behind him. He walked with shoulders straight and proud all the way back to his own quarters, where, once the door was closed, he slumped against it and began to cry.

 

**

 

The representative from the Omega service came the following Tuesday and met with Phil in the sitting room of Dan’s quarters. Dan, for some unspecified reason, had gone out for the entire day. Instead, the appointment was supervised by Beta Celia and, to Phil’s great relief, Beta Tony. He was glad he at least had someone familiar around to support him through this.

 

The representative was also a Beta, and they introduced themselves as Priscilla. They had short, blonde hair and a brisk, business-like demeanor. They had brought with them a large book and a small scent machine.

 

“Now, Phil,” they said, offering him a polite smile, “if you’ll just sit here.” They waved a hand toward the seat they’d pulled up next to the table that held the scent machine. Phil had seen machines like those a couple of times at the slave house while helping clean some of the salesrooms. 

 

Phil took his seat, and then Beta Priscilla began pressing buttons and asking him to describe his reactions. The first few scents were test scents, meant to calibrate the machine to his scent sensitivity — lemon, pine, vanilla. Then they began presenting him with different Omega scents. That’s when it struck him that this was really happening. He was really going to have sex for the first time with some random stranger. His stomach twisted up in painful knots, but he kept his face as smooth and expressionless as he could.

 

Beta Priscilla had twenty-two different Omegas to offer him, and he tried every one of their scents. It wasn’t necessary to find someone compatible for bonding, of course, just an Omega whose scent he found pleasant. There were four he liked enough that he could at least consider the idea of being that close to them. One out of the four he could tell was compatible for bonding with him. None of them smelled anywhere near as good as Dan. Beta Priscilla asked Phil to rank his preferences based on scent and then marked them down on their tablet and turned off the machine.

 

“All right. Thank you very much,” they said and then picked up the book they’d brought. “Now, I would like you to look over each Omega’s profile and rank the four you selected based on other factors.”

 

Phil swallowed. He was actually going to have to see what these people looked like.

 

They opened the book first to the profile of the Omega he had ranked as his first choice, the one who was compatible for bonding. He took a deep breath and looked down at the page. There was a shiny, color photograph of a smiling face staring up at him. They were kind of cute. He checked their other information: male, 23, 173 cm tall. The Omega’s name was Zachary.

 

He nodded, and Beta Priscilla flipped to his second choice, who turned out to be Sylvia, female, 20, 158 cm tall. He skimmed over the rest of the information on her page before nodding for Beta Priscilla to turn to the next one.

 

The other two Omegas were both male. None of the four particularly appealed to him, but he tried not to think of that as he told Beta Priscilla that he was fine with the original order.

 

“Mm hmm,” they said as they noted that down with a satisfied smirk. “Scent is nearly always the best predictor of attraction.” They looked up then and addressed Phil with a smile. “Very well, we will do our best to reserve Zachary for the time period during which your rut is expected to come. You have but to notify us at the onset, and we will send your chosen Omega post haste. If your first choice should become unavailable for any reason, we will send your second choice in his place, and so on. However, we are nearly always able to provide the Alpha’s first choice. Now,” they said, turning to Beta Celia, “in regards to the terms of service—“

 

“Yes, I will be handling that,” Beta Celia answered promptly. She turned a cold gaze on Phil, “You may go now.”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, rising from his seat and bowing. He couldn’t help casting a long look at the door into Dan’s bedroom as he walked past. He wondered where Dan had gone. Why couldn’t he have at least stayed for this, at least given Phil some moral support? He sighed as he made his way down the back stairs. There was a lump in his throat, and he didn’t know whether it was there because of how badly he missed Dan or because of how low he felt after the session with Beta Priscilla. He was sure that Zachary and Sylvia and all of them were very nice Omegas, but no matter how good they smelled or how cute they looked, at the end of the day, he didn’t want to have sex with any of them.

 

The only person he really wanted, though, was nowhere to be found.

 

**

 

Dan was sat in a corner of Louisa and Claire’s elegant living room holding a cocktail glass that he was using as a sort of shield between him and anyone who tried to come up and talk to him. He’d already had to ward off at least two flirtatious Betas.

 

“Are you really going to hide there all night?” Claire had asked at the end of his first hour stationed in the out of the way corner.

 

“If I have to, yes,” he’d muttered in return, staring down into his un-drunk martini.

 

“Why don’t you just go home then?” she’d asked.

 

“No, thank you,” was all he’d replied, and she’d left him alone after that. 

 

He’d gotten the email from Celia last Tuesday notifying him that the appointment with the Omega service had gone smoothly and Phil’s chosen Omega was on call for his rut. He’d been at a cafe down the street that day, just sitting and nursing a coffee and slipping the waiter fifty pound bills every hour to let him keep sitting there undisturbed. He’d stayed there until nightfall.

 

For a full ten days, he had managed to resist the urge to send for Phil — the urge to call him up and show him the adorable cat video he’d stumbled across, just to see the way his face would melt at the sight. Or the urge to call him when his brain got stuck thinking about David and how much he’d fucked up that relationship, just so that Phil could distract him with his rambling conversation. And, of course, the urge to call for him after nightfall, when he lay alone in his wide, empty bed and shivered in the ever-chillier September night air. At least he was sleeping better now — when he finally managed to fall asleep, that was.

 

But today was the day they had calculated Phil’s rut was likely to begin, and all day, he’d sat up in his quarters thinking about that fact, about Phil down in his small room alone, waiting, needing…

 

Thank god Claire had planned this little get-together for this particular evening. He’d called her up and told her to invite him, and she’d added him to the guest-list at once, no questions asked.

 

He was being an awful guest, he knew, refusing to mingle, and throwing surly glares at anyone who dared approach his safe corner. Claire, to her credit, had refrained from reprimanding him for it even once.

 

She did drop a question in his ear after dinner, which he barely touched.

 

“Is something wrong, love? You seem really out of it tonight.”

 

He shook his head without meeting her eyes.

 

She hesitated for a moment before taking him by the arm and pulling him into one of the bedrooms and shutting the door.

 

“Dan, there’s something up with you,” she murmured, voice low so that any potential eavesdroppers would find it difficult to hear. “You aren’t yourself. Talk to me about it.”

 

There were tears stinging his eyes, and his throat ached.

 

“Phil’s due to start his rut soon,” he finally said in a thick voice.

 

“Phil? Your Alpha slave?” she asked.

 

He nodded.

 

She paused, and he knew she was confused.

 

“Here, sit down,” she said, dropping down onto the edge of the bed. He joined her there shortly, and she turned to him with a questioning smile. “Now tell me why your Alpha slave’s rut has you so upset.”

 

Dan tried to speak, but his throat seemed to close up. He bit his lips and sucked in a deep breath, willing his heart to stop thudding so painfully inside his chest.

 

“We,” he squeezed out between tight lips. “We…called an Omega service to send someone to help him.”

 

“That sounds like a reasonable plan,” she said in a neutral tone. “Are you having second thoughts about it?”

 

He almost laughed. Was he having second thoughts about hiring someone else to sleep with Phil? Hilarious.

 

“It’s the option he chose,” Dan replied with a shrug.

 

“Who did? Phil?” Claire asked. “Dan, he’s your slave. If you don’t want him to sleep with other people, you don’t have to let him.”

 

“But if he _wants_ to sleep with other people…” Dan began but then couldn’t continue because his throat was too tight.

 

“Why does it matter what he wants?” Claire sounded genuinely at a loss. “You’re his master. You should tell him what _you_ want, not the other way around.”

 

He shook his head. He knew that’s how things were _supposed_ to be, but he just couldn’t bring himself to treat Phil that way.

 

“It matters to me,” he told her, voice hoarse with unshed tears. “I just…I just want him to be happy.” He could barely get the words out as the floodgates burst and his tears began to fall at last.

 

“Oh, my dear,” Claire said, reaching over and pulling his face down to her shoulder. He rested his head there and let the tears come while she patted him gently on the back. “Shh, shh, it’s all right, love. Go ahead and cry.”

 

They sat there for a long time like that, while she let him cry himself back to calmness. He heard the door open at one point and smelled Louisa’s scent, but Claire must have shooed her away, for the door closed again almost as soon as it had opened.

 

Finally, finally, his tears slowed, and he was able to sit up again. Claire leaned over and grabbed a box of tissues from the bedside table and gave him a minute to clean himself up. When he’d dried his face, she turned a keen gaze on him and pursed her full lips.

 

“So, you’re in love with him, are you?” she asked, though it wasn’t really a question.

 

He nodded. No point in trying to lie about it now, not when she’d just seen him sob for several minutes straight over the Alpha.

 

“And you think it will make him happy to have a professional Omega help him through his rut rather than you?”

 

Dan paused, thinking through the question. It was what Phil had chosen, so…it must be what he wanted, right? Except…of course, he knew that what Phil had really wanted was for Dan to be the one there with him tonight. He’d seen it in the Alpha’s pleading eyes, as plain as day. But if Dan went there now, if he slept with Phil instead…would that really make Phil happy in the long run?

 

“It might not make him happy now, but,” Dan paused, swallowed the new tears that had begun to well up in his throat, “But it’s not like we can ever really be together. What good will it do him to act like we can?”

 

Claire’s eyebrows drew together, and she cocked her head to one side.

 

“Dan,” she said slowly, “your Alpha Father is arranging a second marriage for you, is he not?”

 

Dan nodded. It wasn’t really a secret, even from David’s family, that the Howells meant for Dan to re-marry as soon as possible.

 

“Do you really want to marry again?”

 

He frowned down at his hands. Of course he wanted to marry again…right? An Alpha spouse meant wealth and a position in society and, eventually, a family to raise and grow old with. He wanted all of those things, so—

 

“Yes,” he told her.

 

She hesitated.

 

“It’s just…pardon me for saying this, but you never seemed very happy in your first marriage. I loved my brother very much, but I was never quite convinced…” She trailed off and then shook her head. “It’s ridiculous for you to rush into another marriage when you aren’t even sure it’s what you want. You aren’t so old that you don’t have time to wait a few more years to decide.”

 

Dan sat in silence, still staring down at his hands. He honestly didn’t know what was best anymore.

 

“Look, Dan, all I know is that I care about you, and I want you to be happy, and right now you’re absolutely miserable. And, frankly, you have no one but yourself to blame for that fact. You have an Alpha who, from everything I can tell, is very sweet and just as in love with you as you are with him. If you want to be with him, just be with him. There’s nothing stopping you from that but yourself.”

 

Dan’s gaze was still fixed on his hands, but as she spoke, his limbs had begun to tremble.

 

She was right. Fuck, she was absolutely right.

 

God, he was such a fucking idiot.

 

All at once he was on his feet.

 

“I’m sorry, Claire,” he blurted, casting an apologetic smile at her. “I have to—“

 

“Go, go, go,” she said, shooing him with her hands. “I’ll make your excuses for you.”

 

“Thank you,” he breathed, a grin spreading across his face.

 

“Anytime,” she grinned back.

 

**

 

Phil was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling above his bed. He’d felt fine at dinner, but Beta Tony had reminded him that he was under orders to stay confined to quarters from this evening until his rut had ended. He’d tried to read for a while and then tried to watch videos on the laptop Dan had sent back down to him once he’d banished himself to his own room once more. Nothing had been enough of a distraction, though.

 

He couldn’t believe he was actually going through with this. There was still time, he told himself. He could still call for Beta Tony and have him ask Beta Celia to call the whole thing off. They could rush him some toys to use instead, and he could get through his rut the hard way. He could do that. He definitely could.

 

But the thing was, Dan had agreed to this. Dan knew that sometime within the next few days, his rut would start, and another Omega would come here, and Phil would knot them. And knowing that, for the past ten days, Dan had done absolutely nothing.

 

So… So Phil had been wrong about Dan’s feelings for him. All those times he’d suspected that maybe, just maybe Dan was secretly just as head over heels for him as he was for Dan — that had all been just wishful thinking.

 

And if Dan didn’t feel about him the way he felt about Dan, then why not just get it over with? Why not just let this Zachary person come here and sleep with him and end his rut? Maybe after having sex with someone else, he wouldn’t feel the same way about Dan. Maybe this other Omega could help him start to get over his stupid infatuation.

 

Beta Tony had brought him supplies — a box of knotting condoms, a bottle of lube similar to what he’d bought for Dan ages ago now. They were inside his bedside drawer, waiting to be needed.

 

He wondered what Zachary would be like. Would he want to talk to Phil? Or would he just want to do his job and leave? That would be kind of depressing. He felt his throat begin to constrict as tears welled up in his eyes. God, this whole thing was so awful.

 

And that’s when the first restless tremor shivered through his limbs.

 

_Right on time_ , he thought bleakly.

 

He tried to calculate exactly when his rut would hit. Last time, he’d felt strange for hours before the real symptoms had come on. It was only about 9:00 PM now. He guessed he probably had until the wee hours of the morning before his rut came on in force. He sighed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, and walked over to the door. Best to let someone know now, while he was still more or less normal.

 

He placed his hand on the doorknob and then felt it turn in his palm. He frowned, and then a moment later, his door was opening. He sprang back, just in time to miss being thwacked in the face with it.

 

To his eternal surprise, there on the other side stood Dan.


	13. Week 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil's rut starts

“You shouldn’t be here.”

 

Phil blurted out the words the moment he realized it was Dan stood on the other side of the doorway. The restless feeling in the pit of his stomach was growing more insistent by the minute, and he had no idea how long it would be before he was an actual danger to Dan.

 

He saw Dan’s tongue come out and swipe over his lips. He thought the Omega seemed nervous.

 

“Can we, uh, talk for a minute?”

 

There was sweat prickling the back of Phil’s neck. He needed to get Dan to go away, now, so that he could have someone contact the Omega service for him.

 

“Please, my rut is starting,” he pleaded, gripping the door handle more tightly in his palm, hoping that the slight pain of the metal digging into his flesh would be enough distraction.

 

“I know,” Dan said and bit his lip. “I thought…I mean, if you wanted me to…to stay with you during your rut instead of…instead of someone else…”

 

Phil drew in a deep breath, trying his best to calm the sudden, dizzy racing of his blood.

 

“Dan,” he said, breathing out again. “Please don’t say that unless you mean it. Because if you’re planning to do this and then change your mind later—“ He stopped, swallowed. “I’d rather you not have sex with me and then suddenly decide you don’t want to be with me…again.”

 

Dark red seeped into Dan’s cheeks, but he kept his eyes leveled on Phil.

 

“I want to be with you,” he said. “I mean, I don’t just want to have sex with you; I want _you_.”

 

Phil couldn’t speak for a moment. It felt like his heart was pounding right inside his throat.

 

“Do you really mean that?” he finally managed to ask in a faint voice.

 

Dan bit both of his lips and nodded. Phil could see tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

 

Phil took a tentative step toward him, and that seemed to be the signal Dan had been waiting for. He all but hurled himself at Phil, and the Alpha reflexively raised his arms and squeezed the Omega close, pressing his face against his hair and breathing deeply of his scent.

 

The strange, itchy heat that had been working its way through his veins suddenly whipped itself into flames and without quite knowing he was doing so, Phil lowered his face to the Omega’s neck and rubbed his cheek against the warm skin there, reveling in the sweet fragrance of Omega and the way the scent warmed and changed as it mingled with his own.

 

He heard the Omega made a low sound deep in his throat, and all of a sudden he _needed_ to be touching Dan, needed to feel more of his skin, needed to have him closer, needed…more. He didn’t realize he’d started moving Dan towards his bed until he felt resistance from him.

 

“Wait,” he heard Dan breathe. “Let’s go up to my quarters.”

 

Phil made an impatient sound, but Dan wriggled free from his grasp and stepped away.

 

“I know, but it’s just a quick trip upstairs. You don’t have all the supplies I’ll need here,” he added, taking a backward step toward the doorway.

 

Phil frowned.

 

“I’ve got condoms and lube,” he said, reaching out to grab Dan’s arm and try to pull him back inside. The urgent need within him only grew stronger the further apart he and Dan were.

 

Dan took hold of his hand but refused to allow himself to be drawn further into the room.

 

“I’ll need more than that if I’m going to take your knot,” he murmured, raising his eyebrows in a way that made Phil’s blood sizzle.

 

The Omega tugged a little at his hand, and Phil had no choice but to let himself be dragged from the room and toward the stairs. It was agony, almost, having Dan so near and yet being unable to touch him, to smell him, to mark him and claim him—

 

“Shh, just a bit farther,” Dan called back over his shoulder as he led Phil out onto the landing at the top of the stairs. Phil hadn’t even realized he’d made a noise.

 

The moment the door to Dan’s room had closed behind him, Phil’s arms were around the Omega, pulling him close against his body and breathing in a lungful of his soothing scent. For a moment he could think straight again, and he could only marvel at how different this was than his first rut. He could remember that, at its peak, the need within him had been stronger than it was now, but it had never been so focused. Then, he’d longed for an Omega, any Omega, to come and relieve his lonely suffering. Now, his thoughts were filled with Dan and nothing but Dan. The last sane part of his mind wondered if it would have been the same had that other Omega been the one with him here now instead.

 

Dan leaned his head back against Phil’s shoulder and let the Alpha scent him, baring a wide expanse of neck for Phil to tickle with the tip of his nose. After a minute, though, he stepped out of the Alpha’s grasp again and took a firm hold of his hand.

 

“We can make it to the bedroom at least,” he coaxed.

 

Phil growled, shocking himself a little bit with the aggressiveness of the sound, but followed where the Omega led. They stopped just beside the bed, and then Dan turned and began to swiftly unbutton Phil’s shirt. Finally, they were getting somewhere.

 

“How long ago did the symptoms of your rut start?” the Omega asked, sliding the shirt off of Phil’s shoulders and then beginning to work on the buttons of his own. Phil reached out hands that trembled with excitement to help, but Dan gently pushed them away.

 

“A few minutes ago,” Phil managed to say, his voice low and rough. “Just before you came.”

 

“Wow,” Dan said, pausing on his second-to-last button to frown up at Phil. “Then I doubt you’ll be able to knot me yet.”

 

An involuntary whimper escaped Phil’s throat. Why were they standing here talking? He needed Dan, urgently. Now.

 

“Shh, shh,” Dan said, making quick work of the last two buttons and then reaching out a hand to rub it soothingly over Phil’s red-flushed chest. “Don’t worry, Alpha. I’m going to take care of you,” he said, smiling up at Phil through his lashes.

 

Phil closed his eyes, chest heaving, and tried to concentrate on the coolness of Dan’s palm against the fevered skin of his chest. He felt the hand slide lower, making his abdomen clench in anticipation, and then Dan’s fingers were at his belt buckle, slipping it open and then undoing his flies. Some wordless instinct was urging him to grab hold of the Omega and push him down on the bed, but he managed to resist, focusing instead on the delicious way his jeans brushed against the sensitive skin of his thighs as Dan pulled them to the floor.

 

He opened his eyes and looked down to see the Omega kneeling before him, face level with the front of his boxers. Those dark, dark eyes turned up to his face, and a coy smile curved the pink lips.

 

“Just because you aren’t ready to knot me yet doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun,” Dan murmured, and his face was so close to Phil’s crotch that he could feel the warm moisture of his breath slightly dampening the cotton of his boxers.

 

“Please,” Phil begged, reaching up one hand and burying his fingers in the Omega’s soft hair.

 

“Of course,” Dan said, leaning his cheek against one of Phil’s thighs and then turning his face to press a soft kiss against Phil’s skin that made it twitch in response. “Anything you want, Alpha.”

 

Phil’s head was beginning to swim with how badly he wanted Dan, and every time Dan called him “Alpha” and looked at him that way, it seemed to make his need that little bit more unbearable.

 

“Please, Dan,” he choked out again.

 

As he watched, the Omega bit his lower lip and then reached up to slowly pull Phil’s boxers down, gazing directly into his eyes the entire time. It wasn’t until he felt the soft cotton sliding against his throbbing erection that he even understood that he’d been hard this entire time.

 

He watched, trembling all over now, as Dan slid his boxers all the way to his feet, and then he stepped out of them and Dan tossed them onto the pile of his other clothes.

 

He felt the Omega’s hands then, caressing the sensitive area where his hips joined his thighs, and his hips gave a jerk forward in response. A drop of precum spilled from the tip of his cock and dribbled down the underside. He glanced at Dan’s face and saw that the Omega’s eyes were closely following the sticky drop. His eyes flicked up to meet Phil’s, and then he leaned forward, tongue out, and, with the gentlest touch of his wet tongue to Phil’s aching flesh, lapped the moisture up, all the way to the head of Phil’s cock.

 

Phil groaned, unwittingly tightening his grip on the Omega’s hair. He heard Dan give a little yelp and immediately loosened his grasp.

 

“Ah, sorry,” he breathed.

 

Dan chuckled, still gazing up at him.

 

“It’s okay. You didn’t hurt me,” he assured him, running one hand up from his hip and over his stomach in a calming gesture. “Just surprised me.”

 

Phil nodded, unable to think about much of anything other than the desire to have Dan’s hot, wet mouth around his cock.

 

Maybe the Omega was able to read his mind because even as his hand smoothed over Phil’s twitching abdomen, his lips lowered to the flushed head of the Alpha’s cock, placing a soft kiss there before spreading open and sucking it in.

 

Phil shuddered and kicked his head back. Dan’s mouth felt even better than he’d imagined.

 

He felt the Omega’s lips slip off, and then his tongue was there, teasing the sensitive cleft at the underside of the head. At the same time, Dan’s hand slid down his stomach, over his abdomen, and then trailed its fingers through the curly hair right above his erection. Then the hand wrapped itself around the base of his cock, squeezing just a bit and then sliding up and down the shaft once.

 

He shuddered again, his other hand coming up to weave its fingers into the hair at the other side of Dan’s head. It was taking everything he had in him to fight the urge to thrust.

 

The Omega’s lips wrapped around his tip again, sucking him inside the velvety warmth, deeper than before, while his hand slid down so that his fingers could gently caress and tug at Phil’s balls. Phil couldn’t stop his hips canting forward, thrusting himself even deeper inside the Omega’s mouth. _Fuck_ , that felt amazing.

 

A moment later, Dan’s mouth had disappeared, and Phil opened his eyes to gaze down at the Omega with apprehension.

 

“It’s okay, Alpha,” Dan murmured, fingers still idly playing with his balls. “You can fuck my mouth if you want to.”

 

Phil’s brain couldn’t come up with any words to respond to that, so he just nodded and watched as Dan let his jaw go slack, soft lips hanging open to show his pink tongue. The Omega’s hand reached up, gripping Phil gently and guiding the tip of his cock to rest against his moist lower lip.

 

Phil pushed forward just a little, eyes dropping shut as the sensation of Dan’s slick mouth sliding against his sensitive skin sent sparks exploding throughout his entire lower body. He opened his eyes again and looked down into Dan’s, which were turned up to watch him. He tightened his grip on either side of the Omega’s head and pulled him down further onto his cock, sliding about halfway in before pulling out again. It felt so good, he didn’t know how many more times he could do that without coming.

 

He ran his eyes over Dan’s face, to make sure he was still okay with this, and the Omega grinned up at him before letting his mouth fall open again. So Phil pushed in again and closed his eyes and gave in to his instincts, letting his thick, hard member slide all the way to the back of Dan’s throat before pulling out and then thrusting in deep again. The Omega squeezed his eyes shut and then, as Phil’s cock hit the back of his throat again, let out a choked moan.

 

There was heat building up in the pit of Phil’s stomach, driving him to thrust harder and faster, eyes focused on the Omega’s face, screwed up in concentration as Phil buried himself inside his mouth, slipping in and out between his partially-closed lips.

 

He came suddenly, hips jerking forward as cum pulsed out of him and onto Dan’s waiting tongue. The waves of pleasure that spilled out from his abdomen were more intense than anything he’d ever felt before. For a few seconds, he forgot about everything but the pleasure and the warmth of the flesh surrounding his cock. Then he felt the Omega’s mouth close around him, sucking gently, pulling the last bit of cum from inside him and swallowing it down.

 

He stared down into Dan’s wide eyes and saw the Omega smile around his mouthful of cock.

 

His hands dropped from Dan’s hair then. His arms and legs had started feeling like they were made of jelly. Dan pulled off of him, pressing a light kiss against his softening member, and then stood.

 

Phil pulled his face close at once, dropping eager, hurried kisses against his lips and all around them, on his cheeks, his jaw, his neck. He was so grateful, so happy the Omega was here, was giving himself to Phil.

 

“Mm,” Dan hummed as Phil’s lips pressed against the pulse in his neck. “Why don’t you lie down and rest for a moment?” His voice was a little hoarse, though Phil’s rut-addled brain couldn’t quite think why.

 

“Okay,” Phil said. His whole body felt utterly relaxed. Lying down sounded like a really good idea right now. Dan extricated himself from the Alpha’s embrace and motioned toward the bed, so Phil crawled on top of the duvet and flopped down onto his back. For the moment, the frenzied desire that had driven him before had abated, and he felt more sleepy than anything.

 

He let his eyes drop closed and listened as Dan spoke to someone over the intercom. Beta Tony, maybe. Something about Phil and a change of plans. He heard Dan shuffling around the room, but his lazy brain didn’t bother trying to understand what he was doing. There was the sound of a drawer opening and closing nearby and then Dan’s weight sinking onto the other side of the bed. Phil thought of rolling closer to him…in a minute, when he had more energy.

 

He didn’t know he’d dozed off until a familiar yet disturbing scent tickled his nose and drew him back to wakefulness.

 

His nose twitched again, and he opened his eyes, looking for the source of the scent. He could hear very quiet sounds, smalls moans and whimpers. He turned towards them and found Dan lying beside him on the bed, completely naked now, with his hand between his legs.

 

Phil’s eyes popped wide open and he sat up at once.

 

Dan paused whatever he was doing and rolled his head to the side to look up at Phil.

 

“Awake again?” he asked. His cheeks were flushed pink, and Phil could see that the blush extended all the way down to his chest.

 

“What are you doing?” Phil asked, feeling the restlessness already beginning to build within him again. Dan’s body spread out before him was like a sumptuous banquet, and he was suddenly starving. Whatever that scent pricking at his nose was, it didn’t help.

 

“Getting ready for you,” Dan replied, raising an eyebrow. His eyes glanced down to where his hand was still stuck between his legs. Phil leaned closer to get a better view and then felt his heart stop. Two of the Omega’s fingers were plunged deep inside his hole, beginning to stretch it open. There was moisture shining along both of the fingers and the dark skin around the Omega’s opening, and Phil knew then what the disturbing scent was — the lubricant laced with artificial pheromones. “Wanna help?” Dan asked.

 

Phil gulped in a deep breath of air. What he wanted to do was yank Dan’s fingers away and replace them with his cock.

 

He licked his lips and nodded.

 

“Yes, please,” he said.

 

“Good,” the Omega replied with a grin. He slid his fingers out and then reached for the bottle of lube sitting on the bedside table. He handed it to Phil and then beckoned him over to the space in between his spread legs. “Come here.”

 

So Phil crawled over and knelt in between Dan’s knees and then just stared down at the Omega laid out beneath him — smooth, creamy skin, dark pink nipples, round thighs, and a thick, little cock lying half-hard against his abdomen. He didn’t know where to look first. He glanced up at Dan’s face and saw that he was watching Phil with a soft smile. He raised his arms and beckoned the Alpha closer, and Phil needed no further invitation to crawl forward and bend over Dan’s lips, pressing fervent kisses against them.

 

After a moment, Dan pushed him away a little and leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

 

“I need your cock to stretch me further open, Alpha.”

 

A pleasurable shiver ran through Phil’s body at his words, and he felt his dick springing immediately to attention.

 

“But, what if I knot you before you’re ready,” he asked. He didn’t think his rut had really gotten fully underway yet, but he also wanted to avoid any chance of hurting Dan.

 

“I don’t think you will,” the Omega said, placing a swift kiss on his cheek and pushing him further away. “You don’t smell like you’re really in rut yet.”

 

Phil nodded and then sat back on his heels, kneeling over Dan’s naked body again.

 

“Um, so, what should I do?” he asked.

 

Dan settled back against the pillows and spread his knees a little further apart to give Phil better access.

 

“Put some lube on your fingers and stretch me a bit more. Have you ever done that before?” he added, almost as an afterthought.

 

Phil shook his head. He’d never been with anyone but Dan, and while the thought had occurred to him once or twice to try it on himself, he hadn’t yet gotten the courage to.

 

“I didn’t think so,” Dan said. “That’s okay. Just go slowly and gently, and we’ll be fine.”

 

Phil nodded and then popped the cap on the bottle of lube. He drizzled a bit onto the first two fingers of his right hand. As the scent wafted up to his nose, it made the “slowly and gently” seem increasingly more difficult to achieve, but he was determined not to do anything that could hurt his Omega.

 

He set the bottle aside and then reached down between Dan’s thighs to where he could see his glistening, slightly-stretched hole. He pressed his fingers against small ridges of his entrance and then glanced up at Dan, asking permission with his hesitation.

 

“Go ahead,” the Omega breathed, so Phil pushed his fingers inside, looking down to watch as the slippery skin gave easily, drawing his fingers inside the Omega’s body. “Deeper,” Dan said, so he slid his fingers in as deep as they would go, marveling at how tight and smooth the Omega felt here.

 

He pulled his fingers out and then pushed them in again, feeling even less resistance this time. As he pulled them out again, he gave his fingers a little twist, letting his sensitive fingertips explore more of the Omega’s soft inner walls. He was rewarded with the sound of Dan sucking in a sharp breath.

 

“Faster,” Dan commanded him, so he plunged his fingers back in at once, twisting them again, rubbing them in a circle all around the inside of the Omega’s hole. He could see the skin of Dan’s balls tightening up and his cock growing stiffer by the second.

 

“Does it feel good?” he asked, almost panting with how hard he was breathing. God, he wanted so badly to be inside of Dan right now.

 

“Yeah,” Dan sighed. “Really good. Add another finger now.”

 

Phil swallowed, trying to steady his breathing, and then pushed his third finger in alongside the other two. It was a very tight fit, and he could see the way the Omega’s rim had to stretch to accommodate it. He waited, giving Dan a moment to adjust. The Omega’s dick was fully hard now, with a bead of precum forming at its tip.

 

“You can move,” he heard Dan whisper. He pulled his fingers out slowly and then pushed them in again just as carefully. “You can go faster than that,” Dan added, and Phil could hear that he was breathing heavily now too.

 

Phil pulled his fingers out to the tip and then slid them back inside, then out and back in again. He spread them out a bit, stretching the Omega’s hole just that little bit more, and Dan whined in response. He kept them spread as he pulled them out and then pushed them back in once more. He could feel the Omega’s passage relaxing and opening up around his fingers, and his cock gave a throb as he couldn’t help imagining the Omega’s body stretched around that instead.

 

He heard Dan’s hand scrabbling for something on the bedside table and looked up to see him grabbing a box of condoms that lay there.

 

“Here,” he said, handing the box to Phil. “I’m ready for you now.” His eyes flicked up to meet Phil’s, and Phil’s cock gave another longing throb.

 

He slipped his fingers carefully out of the Omega’s body and then fumbled with the box until he got it open and managed to tear a single condom from the strip inside. It took a bit longer to rip it open and then roll it down over his eager member, his fingers made clumsy by excitement.

 

When he had it on, he looked up at Dan again, feeling suddenly shy and unsure. No matter what his instincts were pushing him to do, was he really ready for this? Was this really what he wanted?

 

Dan must have seen some of the trepidation in his expression, for he bent forward and beckoned Phil into his arms again. Phil leaned into him, pressing his face into the Omega’s neck and feeling Dan’s hands rubbing over his back while he murmured soft, soothing sounds into Phil’s ear.

 

“Shh, shh. You don’t have to push yourself,” he whispered. “We can wait a little longer.”

 

It was unfathomable, Phil thought, how much the Omega’s scent and the sound of his voice and the touch of his hands could calm him down. It was like, when Dan held him like this, everything seemed to make more sense. He could think more clearly. He could breathe.

 

“No, I want you,” he whispered back after a moment. He could see that now. The aching and yearning inside him wasn’t just to fuck some Omega because it was what his biology demanded. It was for Dan and only for Dan.

 

“I want you too,” Dan murmured back and pressed his lips against Phil’s ear, making him shiver at the intense, ticklish sensation. He felt Dan’s arms loosen around him, so he leaned away, and Dan lay back down again, gazing up at him with an expression that matched Phil’s own excitement and longing.

 

He let his eyes trail down the Omega’s body, taking in all its luscious glory. There was a little wet patch on his stomach now, from where the precum had leaked from inside his thickened cock. Phil’s eyes dropped to the Omega’s hole, wet with lube and loose from Phil’s fingers. He took hold of his own cock at the base and pressed the tip against Dan’s hole, feeling it start to slide in even with the slightness of the pressure. The Omega’s body seemed almost to be begging for him.

 

He pushed a little farther in, thighs trembling with the effort of keeping himself from shoving all the way in at once. He could feel Dan’s body stretching around him, opening up even further to make room for his Alpha cock.

 

There was a small whimper from the Omega, and he stopped at once, looking back up to Dan’s face. His lips were hanging open, his chest heaving up and down with quick breaths.

 

“I’m okay,” he gasped. “Keep going.”

 

Phil studied his face for a second longer, wanting to be absolutely sure he was all right. All he saw there was lust and anticipation. He glanced back down to where half of his cock had disappeared inside the Omega’s body. It was a breathtaking sight, Dan’s thighs spread wide, the pinkish-brown skin around his hole stretched tight around Phil, with a faint, reddish line trailing up from his hole to tensed-up balls.

 

Phil pushed further, sliding in until his entire dick had been swallowed by the Omega’s hole, and he could feel his own balls squished against his firm buttocks.

 

He gasped, as coils of sharp sensation radiated up into his abdomen and down into his thighs. Dan’s passage hugged his cock so tightly it almost felt like earlier, when he’d been sucking him off.

 

It felt so good he couldn’t think straight, and when he looked down to see Dan staring up at him, his eyes soft and warm, a glowing bubble of some bright and hot emotion seemed to burst inside his chest.

 

He bent down, resting a palm on the bed to either side of the Omega’s shoulders, and Dan strained up toward him, letting their lips meet in a clumsy, excited kiss. Dan’s arms came up around his back, holding him in a close embrace, and then his hips seemed to start moving of their own accord, pulling him out of the Omega’s body and then sliding him back in, slowly at first until he felt the tightness and slight bit of resistance begin to ease.

 

He felt as much as he heard Dan moan into his mouth, his lips going slack as his head fell back against the bed.

 

“Ah, fuck,” he muttered as his head hit the pillows. “Fuck me.”

 

Phil groaned, pushing his hips forward, burying himself as deeply as he could inside the Omega and feeling his walls clench around him for a moment. He gasped at the overwhelming sensation and, driven by instinct, bent his head forward and nipped gently at the Omega’s neck.

 

“God, you fill me so good,” he heard the Omega moan out, and he lowered his teeth and bit down harder at the spot where his neck joined his shoulder. Dan let out another moan that made pleasure roil through his abdomen. He pulled out halfway and plunged in again, then pulled out again, all the way this time and shoved in deep.

 

Every movement he made seemed to draw a moan or whimper from Dan, and the delicious sounds were driving him to fuck harder, faster. The restless burning inside his bones had reached fever pitch, and his teeth were clenched firmly in the flesh of the Omega’s shoulder. He reached down with one hand and grabbed Dan’s thigh, pushing it up toward his stomach and opening up his hole further, letting Phil’s cock plunge just that bit deeper inside him. His instincts had completely taken him over now, and all he could think of was chasing the orgasm he felt building at the base of his abdomen.

 

“Please, Alpha, please, fuck me harder,” Dan gasped into his ear. He didn’t need any further encouragement, shoving himself as fast and as hard as he could into the Omega’s eager entrance. His movements were barely controlled, and he knew he was close.

 

“I’m gonna—“ he managed to get out before his orgasm hit him, so intense he was seeing stars inside his squeezed-shut eyelids. His hips stilled against the Omega’s body as his cock pumped cum out into the condom. Vaguely, somewhere far away, he could hear Dan whimpering softly, and he became aware of the fact that his teeth were clamped tightly onto the Omega’s shoulder. He’d bitten down on his bonding gland, forcing Dan over the edge too, and he could feel the walls of his entrance pulsing around him as hot, sticky cum pooled in the space between their sweaty stomachs.

 

As the haze of hormones began to clear from his mind, panic began to set in. He leaned back, staring at Dan’s shoulder. The Omega lay limp against the bed, eyes closed and chest rising and falling quickly with his heavy breathing. Phil could see the deep impressions his teeth had left over Dan’s bonding mark. It didn’t look like he’d broken the skin, though, and oh. Oh, right — Dan’s bonding mark. His body relaxed again. There was no danger of accidentally bonding with Dan when he was already bonded to someone else.

 

He lay his head back down on Dan’s shoulder, forcing himself to draw in slower, deeper breaths. Not that it would necessarily be a bad thing to be bonded with Dan. In recent weeks, he’d actually started to let himself consider the idea every now and then. It wasn’t something he wanted to just happen, though. It was the kind of thing they would need to discuss first and agree upon mutually.

 

One of Dan’s hands glided over his shoulder and then lodged its fingers in his damp hair. He grinned and settled himself more securely on top of the Omega’s body.

 

“Sleepy,” he heard Dan mumble, and he gave a small nod of agreement. No point worrying about the future for now, he told himself as he began to drift off. It would all come in its own time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your patience. This chapter was a lot of fun to write! Look forward to the next one on Saturday. :)


	14. Week 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil's rut ends.

Dan woke again after what must have been only a few minutes of sleep. Phil was still lying on top of him and had completely neglected to pull out or take the condom off.

 

With a smile and a small shake of the head, Dan gently rolled the Alpha off of him and onto the other side of the bed. He made a few soft mumbling sounds but didn’t wake. In Dan’s experience, that was how Alphas were when they were entering rut. When the raging hormones driving them to mate subsided, they were taken over by exhaustion. Only at the peak of rut could they keep coming over and over again, insatiable until they achieved what their bodies demanded of them.

 

After gingerly peeling the condom off of the Alpha’s dick, tying it, and tossing it in the trash bin next to his bed, Dan reached for the plug that he’d set out on his bedside table and then the bottle that Phil had tossed down on the bed beside them after lubing up.

 

He sat up and spread a fair amount of the lube on the blunt, black tip of the plug. The scent of the artificial pheromones made his nose itch. They didn’t have the same effect on him that they did on Phil. The only heat hormones Dan’s body was interested in were his own. Then he lay back down and pressed the end against his entrance. It slid easily into his hole, stretched out by the Alpha’s cock.

 

There was no telling when Phil would wake up again or when he would be ready to knot Dan, and it would be difficult for the Alpha to wait and take the time to stretch him again. Once the plug was in, he reached for some tissues from the table to wipe the cum off his stomach and then relaxed against the pillows again. He would probably have to stretch himself more anyway when the time came. He didn’t know how thick Phil’s knot would be — not every Alpha was blessed with an impressively-sized knot — but considering how thick his cock already was, Dan guessed it would be big.

 

Not that he minded that. He smiled a little to himself. When his heat came next week, he would be very happy to discover that Phil had a sizable knot.

 

He’d decided he should stop taking his suppressants after this, though he hadn’t told Phil yet. The Alpha was in no state of mind to discuss something like that right now. But Dan didn’t think he would object. Phil was the one who would be most in danger if they kept up their charade.

 

He heard movement from the Alpha and turned to see that he had rolled onto his side, face toward Dan, though his eyes were still closed and he was still breathing deeply and slowly. Dan let his eyes run over the Alpha’s face, pale and slack with sleep. His lips were parted just a tiny bit — just enough for Dan to glimpse a bit of light glinting off the moist inner edge of his lower lip. His gaze drifted lower, down the bend of the Alpha’s neck, his bony shoulders and his long arms flung carelessly out onto the bed beside him. 

 

He was thin but there was a certain sharpness to his shape that appealed to Dan. There was a line of dark hair that led down from his belly button to the curly patch at the meeting of his thighs. A grin parted Dan’s lips then. The Alpha was already half-hard again, his thickened member resting against the inside of his thigh. Dan guessed that his rut would probably peak within the next few hours.

 

It was a very pretty dick, he decided. Quiet now, it was a pale pink with the delicate folds of his foreskin rolled closed around the rosy tip.

 

A giddy feeling stirred in the pit of his stomach as he remembered what it felt like to have that dick inside him — that dizzy excitement he’d experienced as the Alpha bent over him and pushed inside, almost as though it were his own first time again. In a way it was a new first from him: the first time he’d ever had sex with someone he loved.

 

It had been pretty basic, as far as sex went. He hadn’t expected much of the experience, and so it had blindsided him how intense it had been, how different it had felt when Phil was hovering above him, staring down at him with that look in his eyes, as though Dan constituted his entire universe.

 

David had looked at him like that, and back then it had made him feel either delicious satisfaction or utter despair. The same look in Phil’s eyes, though — it made him feel utterly _right_ , like nothing in the world could ever be wrong again. It was the most perfect happiness he could remember.

 

He curled his arms around himself, cradling the glowing warmth inside his chest even closer. The movement made his shoulder twinge, and that’s when he remembered Phil had bit him. He hadn’t been expecting that either, though of course he should have. It was what Alphas did, after all, when they were taken over by their instincts. No one had ever bitten his bonding gland other than David, though. In the moment, he hadn’t had time to think beyond the flood of euphoria the contact had stimulated.

 

But now he couldn’t help thinking about what it meant, having Phil bite him there. It was something only bonded couples were supposed to do. Normally, he shouldn’t have even wanted to share Phil’s rut while he was still bonded to another Alpha, but of course, normally his bonded Alpha would still be alive.

 

As he studied Phil’s sleep-smoothed face again, he wondered what it would be like to be bonded to Phil. Would all of this feel even more? Would he somehow love the Alpha even more?

 

It was something he’d never considered up until that moment. He’d fought against his feelings for the Alpha for so long, he’d never allowed himself the chance to imagine a future for them.

 

Now that he was thinking of it, he found himself wondering what kind of future there even was for a pair like them — not in the blind, panicked way in which he’d once denied there could ever be anything between them, but in the clear-eyed manner of someone who has come to understand what he truly wants.

 

He didn’t know if he wanted to bond with Phil or not. He wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to bond with anyone ever again. But he at least wanted to have the choice, and the way things stood right now… He shook his head.

 

There was nothing that could be done for the moment. His Alpha Father was away on business, but as soon as he returned, he and Dan were going to have a serious talk.

 

**

 

Phil woke with his arms around Dan.

 

The room was dark now — when had Dan turned out the lights? — and Dan was still fast asleepand pressed against him, back to front.

 

After a moment, Phil felt that his whole body was now shaking with how badly he needed the Omega. That must have been what woke him. He bent his nose to the Omega’s neck, breathing deeply of his scent and then rubbing more of his own scent there, craving the satisfaction of having claimed the Omega, if only in that small way.

 

Dan shifted a bit, disturbed, but still asleep. Phil knew he needed to wake him, but his ability to think logically had been greatly diminished by the hormones hazing his brain, and he couldn’t figure out for a moment what to do, other than squeeze him tighter and continue scenting him. His hips jutted forward, and his desperate cock slid against the bare skin of the Omega’s back. He shuddered and let out a loud groan.

 

Dan smelled so good, felt so good, and he was right there, and Phil _needed_ him _now_.

 

The Omega stirred again and then made a vague, questioning noise. Phil whimpered, wishing he would just wake up already.

 

Then Dan turned in his arms, eyes open at last and blinking sleepily up at his face.

 

“Shh, shh, I’ve got you,” he murmured, stroking a palm across skin that trembled with the heavy pounding of Phil’s heart. He stretched his face a little closer, and Phil bent hungrily to his lips, pressing his own against them before sliding his tongue inside to taste the Omega’s delicious mouth. He felt Dan’s hand sliding lower, down his fluttering stomach and then around his side to his hip and then his buttocks. The Omega’s hand rubbed over the skin there for a moment before giving a firm squeeze that made his hips jerk forward again. He moaned in his throat, mouth still locked on the other’s, as his aching cock was squeezed slightly between their two bodies.

 

“Dan,” he gasped, pulling away at last. “Please. Please.”

 

“Yes, Alpha,” Dan murmured back, bending forward to nip his ear and then rolling away. Phil tried to pull him back, but the Omega was too quick. He hopped off the bed and cast a glance over his shoulder. “Just a moment. I’m gonna turn on a lamp. I want to be able to see you.”

 

Phil growled, frustrated, though he was still enough in control of himself that he managed to lie meekly on the bed, watching the Omega wade through the gloom of the darkened space over to a small table, where he flicked on a lamp.

 

The sudden light hurt Phil’s eyes, so he turned to hide them in a pillow, ears straining to keep track of where the Omega was. His brain knew that Dan wasn’t planning to go anywhere, but his deep, animal instincts were warning him not to let the Omega out of his sight. It was weird, the way some part of him was still himself, still able to look at Dan and think of him as Dan, while an ever more insistent part of him smelled Dan and saw him and felt him and thought  _Omega_. Of course he’d always known Dan was an Omega, but now it was like he felt it in his bones, like the idea of it was thrumming through his blood, making it sing, making him feel intensely alive.

 

There were rustling sounds and then the bed dipped, and he reached at once for Dan, who slid quite willingly into his embrace. He cracked one eye open, giving it a moment to adjust to the low light. Then Dan’s face came into focus, eyes shining as they watched him. He couldn’t quite resist his instincts anymore, and he found himself taking hold of the Omega and pushing him down onto his back, where it was easy to claim his lips, his throat, trap his body between his knees, perfectly positioned for knotting.

 

He came to himself again with his lips trailing over the Omega’s left nipple, while Dan’s fingers clenched in Phil’s hair and a soft whine escaped his throat. Phil was shocked to realize he himself was growling, a low, possessive sound. There were no other Alphas anywhere nearby, and yet he still felt an overwhelming need to warn others away, to let them all know this Omega was _his._ Perhaps if he’d been in his right mind, he could have processed the fact that Dan still smelled distinctly of another Alpha. As it was, all he knew was a deep-seated urge to stake his claim.

 

He leaned back for a moment, wanting to see his Omega’s face. Dan was lying gazing up at him with hazy eyes, hair tousled from sleep and sex, lips a warm pink from the kisses Phil had pressed against them. A satisfied smile curled Phil’s lips.

 

“You’re going to have to stretch me again,” the Omega murmured.

 

It took a moment for Phil’s slow-moving brain to figure out what Dan meant. Then he nodded.

 

“Okay,” he said, voice rougher than he was expecting. The Omega pulled one hand from Phil’s hair and reached over to where he must have dropped the bottle of lube beside them on the bed. Phil took it from him and then shuffled down Dan’s body until he was kneeling between his legs again. When he looked down to admire the Omega’s beautiful hole, though, he was shocked to see, not pretty, pink flesh but something round and black.

 

He stared down at it for a moment. He heard Dan let out a chuckle and jerked his head up to frown at the Omega.

 

“Here,” he said, smiling and reaching a hand down between his legs. Phil could only watch in amazement as the Omega’s fingers took hold of the small, black knob and pulled. Something thick and black appeared and then slid slowly out, stretching the Omega’s rim wide for a moment. He could hear Dan sucking in a breath as the toy slid completely free. Not knowing quite what possessed him, Phil moved a bit further away and then dropped down onto his elbows and bent his face to the Omega’s flushed hole.

 

There was the sound of Dan gasping, and then Phil reached out his tongue and licked at the Omega’s rim, slick with lube, having some vague thought of soothing the strained skin there. Dan let out a shockingly loud whimper, and, encouraged, the Alpha continued his ministrations, lapping up the moisture that tasted and smelled of sex and then, curious, pressing his tongue inside the Omega’s relaxed opening.

 

“Oh, fuck,” he heard Dan breathe and pushed in deeper, marveling at the way the Omega tasted here, rich and delicious and satisfying.

 

His cock gave an angry throb, and a shudder passed through him. He sat back up again, tracing his tongue over the remnants of lube that clung to his lips. His eyes moved back up to Dan’s face. The Omega’s cheeks were flushed bright red, and his mouth was hanging open as he panted each breath.

 

“Stretch me, now,” he commanded. So Phil picked up the bottle he’d tossed aside earlier, snapped it open and poured lube on a couple of his fingers. It was nice, not having to decide what to do. Somewhere, deep down, he was glad Dan had taken charge of the situation. Phil didn’t have to think — just follow orders and his instincts.

 

Right now, his instincts were telling him to get himself inside the Omega as soon as possible, and Dan had made it clear the quickest way to do that was to make sure he was well stretched first, so he rubbed a bit of the lube around the Omega’s entrance and then pushed his fingers in.

 

They felt a bit more resistance than they had the last time, but the muscles relaxed quickly, allowing him to easily add another finger. He watched in mute fascination as the Omega’s skin stretched and contracted around his fingers, growing looser by the moment. The urge to fuck, toknot was almost unbearable now. He started to slip his fingers out, but Dan stopped him with a hand on his wrist.

 

“More,” he ordered, his voice husky and holding a note that seemed to echo the same desperation that was driving Phil. “I wanna feel your whole hand inside me.”

 

Tight heat coiled in Phil’s abdomen at the picture Dan’s words conjured up in his mind, and another growl escaped his throat. He looked up into Dan’s eyes, the half-lidded, lustful look in them urging him on.

 

He slid his little finger in beside the third one, amazed at how easily the Omega’s body stretched to accommodate him. He pushed his fingers deeper in, as far as they would go and then pulled them a bit apart, widening the Omega’s passage.

 

“ _Fuck_ ,” Dan groaned. “ _Fuck. More._ ”

 

The Alpha, mesmerized by the way the Omega’s body was responding to his movements, opening up for him while his thighs trembled and his cock twitched, obeyed at once. He pulled his fingers out and then pushed in again, this time sliding his thumb in with the rest, and he could feel the strain in the Omega’s flesh, the way he was pushing him to his very limits. He paused, with his hand thrust inside not quite to his wrist, waiting for the flesh around him to relax and loosen again.

 

He could hear Dan gasping for breath. He glanced up to see his eyes squeezed shut and his fingers crumpling the sheets on either side of his body. He bent to place a kiss against the inner side of the Omega’s quivering thigh, and that seemed to help, for he could feel that now, far from resisting him, the Omega’s body seemed to be drawing him further in. He pushed his hand deeper, and Dan’s hole swallowed it down past his wrist.

 

The Omega gave a little sob that sent a tremor through Phil’s body. He moved his hand, twisting it just a bit inside, and Dan let out a strangled cry. The Omega’s inner walls clasped tightly around his hand, and he could feel the hot throb of his pulse. He glanced down to see his own cock standing straight up against his abdomen, a thick trail of precum shining down the underside. He didn’t know how much longer he could wait. It felt like his heart was pumping electricity into his veins rather than blood.

 

“A little…bit more…” he heard Dan gasp. Somehow he seemed to have read Phil’s mind. “And more lube too,” the Omega added after he had caught his breath again.

 

Phil reached over with his free hand and picked up the bottle, struggling for a moment to get the cap open, but then it came free and he quickly drizzled more of the liquid onto the reddened skin stretched all around his arm.

 

He tossed the bottle aside again and then focused on slowly pulling his hand out. When his fingers had slid free, the Omega’s hole lay gaping before him, and he could see the the bright pink flesh deep inside him. He rubbed his fingers across Dan’s skin, through the lube he’d just poured onto it, working it onto his hand and into Dan’s hole, and then, so easily it took his breath away, he slipped his hand back inside.

 

Dan threw his head back, raising his hips up off the bed in an involuntary response to being penetrated by the Alpha’s hand.

 

Phil pushed in past the wrist again and pulled his hand out then pushed it in once more, even deeper this time. His throat let out a desperate little whine. Fuck, he needed to knot the Omega so badly. _Now_.

 

“Omega,” he gasped, pulling his hand out and staring down at his gaping hole again.

 

“Yes,” he heard Dan breathe. “Now. Fuck me now.”

 

With more self-restraint than he’d even thought he possessed, Phil didn’t plunge immediately inside but instead reached a trembling hand out to the box of condoms that still lay on the bedside table. It took way too long to get one free of the others again, but finally, finally, he had one on. He reached down and rubbed the excess lube on his hand over the thin-stretched latex, his hips jerking forward at the sudden, exquisite contact.

 

He took one last, long glance at the Omega’s beautiful hole, stretched wide open, waiting for him, the flesh all around it quivering with anticipation.

 

He moved forward a bit, bending his stiff erection down to position the tip at the Omega’s entrance. He glanced up, searching for Dan’s gaze. The Omega was biting his lips, but when their eyes met, he grinned and murmured, “Can’t wait to feel that big, fat knot of yours.”

 

Phil growled and thrust inside, keeping his eyes locked on the Omega’s and reveling in the way his grin dropped into an open-mouthed pant as the Alpha’s thick cock filled him up.

 

He easily slid in all the way to his base, the Omega’s hole nice and loose from having his hand shoved inside.

 

He reached down and grasped the undersides of Dan’s thighs, holding the Omega’s hips up off the bed to give himself a better angle and allow him to push a little deeper inside. His fingers dug deep into the soft flesh as he slid himself out and then snapped back in, the blood pounding in his head, urging him to push harder, deeper, to fill the Omega with his cum.

 

The Omega’s soft panting had turned into whimpering, growing louder with every thrust.

 

“Fuck me,” he mumbled, “Alpha…please… Fuck. Fuck, you’re so fucking huge.”

 

The Omega’s head was flung back against the pillows now with his eyes squeezed shut and his hands braced against the mattress.

 

Phil’s whole body was alive with pleasure — the shivery waves of it that rushed through him as his sensitive cock slipped against the hot, slick interior of the Omega’s passage, the dizzying haze of it that filled his nostrils along with the Omega’s scent and the scent of the heat pheromones in the lubricant. His mind had been taken over by it, some ancient, wordless tune singing through him, relishing the supreme satisfaction of claiming an Omega.

 

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” he heard Dan pant out as he pushed inside again. He couldn’t guess why, though he could see the way the Omega’s abdomen clenched and his cock jumped in response. He pulled out and thrust in again, exactly the same way, and the Omega let out a low sob. “Yes, _god_ , Phil, just like that.”

 

Fueled by hormones and excitement, he picked up his pace, fucking rapidly in and out of the Omega’s slippery hole. Dan was near-screaming with every thrust now, and then without warning, the Omega’s cock began spilling sticky white cum out onto his stomach, twitching as an orgasm overtook him. Inside, his walls throbbed with his ecstasy, pulsing around Phil’s cock and driving him to the edge of his own orgasm.

 

He could feel it now, the entirely novel sensation of his knot beginning to swell. There hadn’t been any Omega around during his last rut to coax his knot out, so this was the first time it had ever happened. It was strange and exhilarating and made him feel almost wild with the desire to thrust, to fill the Omega, to breed him with his offspring.

 

“Gonna fill you up,” he panted, letting Dan’s legs drop back onto the bed so that he could bend forward over him. The Omega was lying there, chest heaving, drops of sweat trickling down along his hair line. His eyes were glazed over, but as Phil came near, he raised shaky arms and pulled the Alpha in closer. Phil growled into his ear, “ _My_ Omega,” and pushed inside one final time, his knot swelling to its fullest and locking him deep within the Omega’s body. Hot pleasure was raging through him, coursing through his veins and spilling out the tip of his cock in spurts of his seed.

 

He bent to the Omega’s shoulder and bit down hard, tasting skin and sweat and Omega hormones. In a distant sort of way he could hear the Omega’s voice sobbing his name, but he was lost in a cloud of lust and possessiveness. 

 

“Mine,” he growled against the bruised skin of Dan’s shoulder, licking at the bite mark he’d left as the last of his cum pumped from the end of his spent cock.

 

At last his body was sated, and exhaustion seemed to steal over him at once. He laid his head on the Omega’s shoulder and let his weight collapse onto the Omega’s body. He was asleep in seconds, his knot still swollen, still holding him deep inside of Dan. If this had been the olden days, before things like condoms and birth control, Dan might soon be pregnant with his child, as his rut hormones had once led him to fantasize. For now, though, he was content with just this, just his body joined with Dan’s. His lips twitched into the slightest smile as he slipped into unconsciousness.

 

He fell asleep so quickly that he didn’t notice Dan was crying, that his whole body was shaking with the effort of holding in his sobs. The Omega kept his arms wrapped tight around the Alpha’s back, cradling him close against his shivering body. He pressed one wet cheek against the Alpha’s crisp hair and breathed in deeply of his sweet scent.

 

“Yours,” he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I can't believe the story has already progressed so far. I'm so grateful to all of you who have been reading, commenting, and giving kudos. That's the fuel that helps keep me going! Thank you all so much. <3<3
> 
> Look forward to the next chapter on Wednesday!


	15. Week 12: Sunday Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan's made some important decisions.

 

“There’s something I want to show you.”

 

Phil looked up from his breakfast plate, one slice of toast with strawberry jam held poised just in front of his face.

 

He could only vaguely remember Dan waking him when his knot had gone down and helping him get cleaned up before he fell back into a deep, exhausted sleep. He’d woken again well past his normal hour, when the sun was already high. Dan had been there still, curled up against his chest.

 

In the light of day, Phil had felt kind of embarrassed by the fact that they were both naked, lying with their bodies pressed together like that. The feeling had quickly passed, though, as he gazed down at Dan’s slightly-parted lips and watched the slow rise and fall of his chest. There had been too much of Dan to stare at and marvel over for him to have time to feel embarrassed anymore.

 

His eyes had fallen on Dan’s shoulder, where his reddish bonding mark was now masked by a series of small bruises.

 

Phil had bitten him, twice, during his rut. He recalled then the momentary panic he’d gone through, worrying he had accidentally bonded with Dan. Now that he was thinking more clearly, he didn’t feel relief so much as curiosity. Dan had seemed to like being bitten, despite the fact that Phil wasn’t his bonded Alpha. Was that normal?

 

He’d thought of asking him when he woke but decided against it. Dan had opened up a little bit about his former Alpha, but Phil still wasn’t sure if he was okay bringing the topic up on his own. Then Phil had paused as it occurred to him to wonder if he was Dan’s Alpha now. 

 

He had remembered what he’d said to Dan: _My Omega. Mine._

 

A slight fear had gripped his heart then. How must Dan have felt when he heard Phil say those words? Would he be offended that Phil had dared to lay claim to him? All he’d offered was to help him through his rut, after all. Or maybe he had wanted it. Maybe he wanted Phil to be his new Alpha.

 

He could have asked him. He definitely could have, but when Dan had woken, he’d smiled at Phil and pulled him close for a kiss, and Phil had told himself, _This is enough._

 

They’d lain in bed together for a while, kissing lazily and occasionally talking. Dan had apologized for being such an ass. Phil had told him not to mention it but hadn’t been able to keep from begging him not to leave again.

 

The Omega had pulled him close and murmured apologies and assurances and more apologies in his ear until Phil had stopped him with a long kiss that left them both gasping for air.

 

And now, dressed in quickly thrown-on pajamas and sat across from one another over the breakfast brought up by Beta Tony, Dan had startled him by announcing he had something he wanted to show him.

 

“Okay,” Phil said, setting down his toast and starting to stand. “What is it?”

 

“Not now,” Dan said, waving a hand at him to sit down again. “I meant, later…like, after breakfast.”

 

“Oh,” Phil said, shrugging and picking up his toast again.

 

“It’s more of a place that I want to take you, I guess,” Dan said, reaching for his own slice of toast and beginning to slather on some butter. “But you’ll see.”

 

Phil wanted to ask more questions, but he could tell Dan didn’t have anything more to say for now about whatever it was, so instead he focused on his food, and after a moment Dan changed the conversation to how chilly the weather was beginning to turn. Phil was glad he'd picked something so easy to make mindless conversation about because wondering where it was Dan was so intent on taking him had turned into wondering again exactly what their relationship was now. He wished he had the courage to just ask Dan what he was thinking.

 

His troubled thoughts lasted until the end of breakfast, at which point Dan pushed his chair back, stood, and said, “I could really use a shower.”

 

He took three steps around the table until he was standing just beside Phil’s chair. He looked down at him and favored him with a smile.

 

“You coming?” he asked.

 

Phil had been halfway to setting his napkin down on the table after wiping the toast crumbs from his mouth, but now his hand froze in place.

 

Dan’s smile deepened, and then he turned away and continued toward the bathroom.

 

It took him a moment to unfreeze, but by the time Dan had reached the bathroom doorway, Phil had dropped his napkin and scrambled after him.

 

Dan paused at the doorway and then grabbed Phil by his wrist and pulled him inside as soon as he came near. The Alpha found himself pushed up against the wall with lips pressed into his throat, feeling their way down the thin skin covering his pulse. He could feel the Omega’s entire body pressed up against him, making his heart rate suddenly spike.

 

He let out a little gasp, and then the lips and the body were gone. He opened his eyes — when had he even closed them? — to see Dan disappearing out the bathroom door again.

 

“Get started without me,” he called back over his shoulder. “I’ll be back in a sec.”

 

When Dan returned, he found the Alpha stood beside the tub, still fully clothed, with steamy water streaming from the shower head.

 

“Planning to shower with all your clothes on?” he asked, reaching down and pulling his long pajama shirt off over his head. Since he hadn’t bothered to put anything on underneath it, this left him completely naked.

 

Phil stared, a blush taking over his entire face. He didn’t think he would ever get over how beautiful the Omega’s body was.

 

Dan smirked and went to push aside the shower curtain, but Phil reached out a hand to stop him.

 

“Um, Dan, can you wait just a second,” he muttered, suddenly breathless. 

 

The Omega’s hand dropped from the shower curtain and he turned a serious gaze on Phil.

 

“Are you okay with this?” Dan asked. “If you aren’t, that’s totally fine.”

 

“No, I, um, this is okay, but,” Phil felt his blush deepen. “I mean, last night was amazing. Really, thank you for…um…everything.”

 

Dan tilted his head a bit to one side.

 

“You’re welcome,” he said in a cautious tone. “I rather enjoyed it too.”

 

Phil bit his lip, wishing he could say this without getting so flustered.

 

“Good,” he muttered and then cleared his throat.

 

He felt Dan’s hand then, taking hold of his hand and giving it a small squeeze.

 

“Go on,” he encouraged him.

 

“I just meant…I don’t really feel like having sex again just yet, so if you, um, were wanting to do that…” He trailed off, his eyes dropping to the floor. 

 

“Phil, that’s fine,” he heard the Omega say. “Hey—“ Dan’s face suddenly appeared in his field of vision, turned almost upside down to make eye contact with him. “We talked about this before, didn’t we?”

 

Phil raised his eyes a bit, and Dan leaned back upright again.

 

“Yeah, I guess,” Phil murmured.

 

“You don’t have to do anything just because you think I want you to,” Dan said. “We can just take a shower and nothing else, if that’s what you want.”

 

Phil bit his lip again and nodded. He felt Dan give his hand another squeeze and then drop it.

 

“I’m jumping in now, but feel free to join me whenever,” he said with a wink and then slid back the shower curtain and stepped under the stream of hot water.

 

Phil took a deep breath and then unbuttoned his pajama shirt and stepped out of his pajama bottoms. He pushed aside the curtain and climbed inside the shower just behind Dan. He found the Omega with a head full of shampoo suds. Dan turned to face him with his hands stuck in his hair and his eyes squeezed shut.

 

“Can you grab me the conditioner?” he asked, so Phil turned to the collection of bottles that stood on the tiled shelf on the back wall of the tub and squinted at them until he found the conditioner.

 

“Thanks,” Dan said through a curtain of now-clean hair when Phil turned back and handed him the bottle. “Your turn under the shower,” he said, stepping to the side.

 

Phil took his place and let out a long hiss of relief as the hot water washed away all the sweat and stickiness leftover from the previous night’s activities.

 

“Vanilla bean or strawberry milkshake,” he heard Dan ask and squinted his eyes open to see the Omega holding up a white bottle of body wash and a pink one.

 

“Don’t you have anything for Alphas?” Phil frowned.

 

Dan snorted.

 

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll call Tony and tell him to bring up a bucket of petrol to douse you in instead.”

 

Phil shrugged.

 

“I actually kind of like the smell of petrol.”

 

“You’re disgusting,” Dan said, shaking his head. “Here, you get Vanilla Bean today.” He thrust the white bottle out toward Phil, who took it and popped the cap open. “I’ll tell Tony to buy you the special Alpha body wash that smells like forest fires or gunmetal or whatever for next time.”

 

But Phil had started slathering on the Vanilla Bean and realized it made him smell like a delicious bowl of ice cream.

 

“Wow,” he said. “I want to eat my own skin off now.”

 

“Disgusting,” Dan repeated, taking the bottle from Phil’s hand when he held it out to him again. “Does that mean my cutesy Omega-y body wash is acceptable after all?”

 

“Maybe,” Phil said.

 

“Hmph,” Dan replied. “Turn around so I can wash your hair.”

 

Phil turned around, eyes squeezed shut since this put his face directly in the stream of water, and submitted to having his hair lathered up with shampoo that smelled like raspberries. He thought the smell might actually be making him hungry again, but Dan’s fingertips felt so good rubbing gently against his scalp that he didn’t bother saying so.

 

“Okay, you can rinse now,” he finally heard Dan say and almost wanted to protest the disappearance of his magic fingers. Instead, he dutifully rinsed the lather from his hair and then stepped aside so that Dan could use the shower again.

 

When Dan had washed out all of his conditioner, he held out his arms, eyes still closed against the water, and wiggled his fingers in Phil’s general direction.

 

“C’mere,” he called.

 

Phil grinned and then stepped into the Omega’s arms, and they closed around him, drawing him close against his slippery body. Phil slid his arms around Dan too, and they stood together like that for a moment, feeling each other and the insistent pressure of the water and their own steadily beating hearts.

 

“I love you,” he heard Dan whisper.

 

For just a moment, he thought he must be dreaming. Nothing about the moment felt quite real. Maybe he had fallen asleep last night, downstairs in his room in the slave quarters. Maybe all of this had just been his unconscious mind fulfilling his every fantasy — Dan showing up at his door, Dan wanting to share his rut, Dan holding him close and whispering he loved him. Surely, it was all too good to be true.

 

Then he felt Dan’s arms squeeze tighter around him, pulling him even closer against the Omega’s body, slick with water from the shower. He could feel the trembling of Dan’s arms and legs, even the rapid flutter of his heart where their chests pressed tightly together.

 

No, this was all really happening.

 

He tightened his own grip on the Omega’s body.

 

“I love you too,” he whispered back.

 

He pulled Dan away from the stream of water a bit, and then their lips found one another, slipping clumsy in the water streaming down their faces, but eager nevertheless. He felt Dan’s tongue slide between his lips, so he met it with his own, relishing the sounds the Omega was making deep in his throat.

 

After a while, Dan broke away with a sigh, gazing up at him with the biggest grin.

 

“I guess I should let you finish with your hair already,” he said.

 

“I guess,” Phil agreed, keeping his arms firmly wrapped around Dan’s waist.

 

“Seriously,” Dan laughed then, shaking his head a bit. “We’re wasting water here.”

 

“Fine, fine,” Phil said, dropping his arms but still unable to tear his eyes away from the Omega’s perfect face.

 

They stared at each other a while longer until Dan rolled his eyes and turned away.

 

“Phi-il,” he protested.

 

“Okay, okay, for real this time,” Phil said, reaching for the bottle of conditioner from the shelf.

 

“Wait,” Dan said, grabbing the bottle back from him. “Let me.”

 

So Dan rubbed conditioner into his hair for him and then they kissed for another minute or two until Dan told him it was time to rinse it out, and then finally they turned off the water and got out, and Dan grabbed two fluffy towels for each of them.

 

When they were both dry, he pulled Dan into a close embrace again and kissed him until they both had to pull away to gasp for air. He realized then that he was hard and that Dan was too and that he very, very much wanted to have sex with him again now.

 

He pressed his lips to Dan’s once more and then walked him over to the nearest wall, trapping him against it as the Omega had done to him a little while before. He heard the Omega moan, low and deep, as he pushed his own erection into Dan’s smaller one.

 

No, he decided, what it really was that he wanted was to keep hearing Dan make those sounds.

 

On sudden inspiration, he placed one more kiss beneath Dan’s ear and then dropped to his knees in front of the Omega. He looked up and grinned when he saw Dan’s open-mouthed expression.

 

He raised his hands and placed one on either side of the Omega’s narrow hips.

 

“May I?” he asked.

 

Dan nodded immediately, eyes still fixed on him in a stare. So Phil looked down at the Omega’s stiff cock that had gotten hard so quickly from just a few of Phil’s kisses. It was still amazing to Phil that anyone could want him like that, least of all someone as wonderful as Dan.

 

He bent his lips to the thick head and placed a kiss there, loving the way it made Dan shiver. He’d never done this before, but he could still vividly remember the way Dan had sucked him off last night and was pretty sure he could figure it out.

 

He stuck out his tongue and licked experimentally across the head of the Omega’s cock. Dan hummed a small sound of approval in response, so he leaned forward a bit and licked slowly upward from the base of Dan’s cock all the way to the head. That drew a louder sound from the Omega, and Phil grinned to himself.

 

He slipped his lips over the tip then, sucking gently, trying to accustom his mouth to this new, fullsensation.

 

Dan’s hand came up to rest against the back of his head then, the fingers trailing lightly through his hair and making him shiver too. In this position, he realized that his tongue was pressed up against the underside of the tip, right where the foreskin joined the rounded head, so he moved his tongue a bit, teasing the sensitive folds of skin. He was rewarded with a loud moan from the Omega.

 

Encouraged, he pushed down a little more, taking more of Dan into his mouth, working his tongue against him all the while. Dan’s moans and whimpers and tiny gasps accompanied his progress, and the Omega’s fingers wove themselves more firmly into his hair, caressing him and urging him deeper at the same time.

 

It didn’t take long for him to work his way down to the base of the Omega’s small cock. Once there, he sucked on it a bit and then pulled back, reaching a hand over to squeeze over it once while he caught his breath.

 

He couldn’t help glancing up to see Dan’s face.

 

The Omega was grinning down at him.

 

“You’re doing great,” he murmured, his fingers tickling the back of Phil’s neck.

 

Phil smiled and then bent to the Omega’s cock again. He spent a little while playing with the head, running the tip of his tongue lightly over it or mouthing at it gently with his lips. He hadn’t known if Dan would like that or not, but based on the soft whines coming from his throat, Phil guessed he did.

 

Then he slid his mouth back over Dan’s shaft again, pushing almost all the way down and then coming up again, concentrating hard on keeping his teeth out of the way. As he pushed down again, he sucked a bit, tightening his mouth around Dan’s member.

 

“Ahh! Yes,” he heard the Omega breathe out. “So good.”

 

He slid all the way to the base, sucking hard and then pulled off, startling himself a bit with the loud popping sound he made. Dan just groaned, though, so he stroked him with his palm a few times, giving his mouth a momentary break and then sucked him down again in one go.

 

“ _Fuck_ ,” Dan cried, his hand clenching at Phil’s hair, pulling it just enough to sting. Phil felt a throb between his own legs. He hadn’t known that having his hair pulled while sucking someone off would be so hot.

 

He pulled off again, lapping at the head for a moment and then sucking Dan into his mouth once more. The Omega let out a string of expletives, so he kept up the sucking for as long as he could, pushing down and pulling up, moving faster each time. Dan was moaning with almost every movement now, his fingers tugging still at Phil’s hair and making his own cock ache for attention.

 

As he pulled back this time, he reached down and used his free hand to stroke himself along with Dan, keeping the same rhythm for them both.

 

“Close,” Dan huffed out, and Phil glanced up to see that he had his head leaned back against the bathroom wall and his eyes shut.

 

Phil lowered his mouth once more, pulling quickly at his own cock while he took Dan’s all the way down, sucking hard and then sliding off and then sucking him in again.

 

“Fuck!” Dan yelled. “Phil— Phil, I’m gonna—“ He dropped his hand from Phil’s hair then and used it to push Phil back a bit. 

 

The Alpha wobbled for a moment and then pulled off the Omega’s cock, sitting back on his heels and reaching up to stroke Dan through his orgasm. He was moaning loudly and wordlessly, and as the first spurt of cum spilled from the end of his cock, a bit of it landed on Phil’s cheek. The rest ended up all over his hand.

 

He bit his lip a little and looked up at Dan’s blissed out expression as he stroked the last few drops of cum from him.

 

After a moment, the Omega’s eyes opened, and he dropped his gaze to Phil’s upturned face.

 

“I’m sorry,” Phil said at once. “I wanted to, you know, try tasting you again, but—“

 

“What are you apologizing for?” Dan asked, shaking his head and smiling a bit. “That was incredible. You’re a natural.”

 

Phil felt a blush spreading across his cheeks.

 

“Oh,” he muttered. “Thanks.”

 

“Here,” Dan said, bending over and picking up one of their discarded towels. He handed it to Phil, who wiped his hand and face clean with it, and then Dan took it and tossed it over onto the pile of their dirty pajamas. “Come here,” he said, holding out his arms.

 

So Phil stood up, and Dan pulled him into a kiss, and then he felt the Omega’s fingers wrapping around his still-unsatisfied cock.

 

He yanked his head back from the kiss with a gasp and then dropped his head onto Dan’s shoulder. The Omega winced, so he whipped his head up again and saw that he’d bumped against Dan’s bruised bonding gland.

 

“Sorry—“ he tried to say, but Dan shushed him and reached his free hand up to gently guide the Alpha’s head back onto his shoulder.

 

“You gave me a beautiful bite mark,” he murmured into Phil’s ear, and the sound of his voice sent a ripple of pleasure through Phil’s abdomen, intensified by the steady stroking of his hand over Phil’s throbbing member.

 

A small whine escaped his throat. Dan’s hand squeezing around him felt so good, and the Omega’s throat just millimeters from his face smelled like heaven. His skin, pressed against Phil from cheek to hip, was warm and soft. He could almost imagine standing here like this forever, except that the heat slowly building again in his abdomen was making his legs feel weak and wobbly.

 

He leaned into Dan further, letting the Omega hold his weight, letting himself get lost in his scent and the velvety strokes of his fingers and the soft words he was whispering in his ear, about how he was such a good Alpha, how he had sucked him so good, marked him so good, knotted him so good.

 

Phil came with a soft moan, thrusting up into Dan’s hand once, twice and then spilling over his fist. He was almost surprised he still had any cum left in him after how much he had cum last night.

 

Dan’s hand stroked him slowly and gently through it until finally the waves of pleasure had died away, and then they kissed, just as slowly and gently.

 

“I love you,” Dan whispered to him again when they pulled apart.

 

“I love you too.” He said it right back this time, unable to keep himself from grinning. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to get to say that to Dan — and even more so to hear Dan say it too.

 

It wasn’t until they’d both cleaned up again and started getting dressed that he remembered Dan had said he wanted to take him somewhere after breakfast.

 

Oops. They’d gotten a bit sidetracked.

 

“The car should be waiting for us by the time we get down there,” Dan said from where he stood before the wardrobe mirror. “I told them to bring it around at 10:30.”

 

Phil, who was just finishing buttoning the top button of his shirt, glanced over at the alarm clock on Dan’s bedside table. It was only just 10:20. Maybe getting sidetracked had been part of Dan’s plan all along then.

 

 

They held hands in the car as it took them on a long trip, over the river and into a part of the city Phil had never been in before. They exchanged very few words. Phil was too busy taking in all the new sights out the window, and Dan seemed content to leave him to it.

 

Eventually, the car slowed, and Phil felt Dan’s hand squeeze hard around his own. He turned to look at Dan and saw that his face had gone much paler than normal. He squeezed back.

 

The car came to a stop, and Dan let go of his hand then, opening the door on his side so that they could climb out onto the pavement. As the driver pulled away again, the two of them stood staring up at a tall building — a block of flats.

 

“Come on,” Dan said, gesturing him to the door. There was a keypad beside it. He watched as Dan punched in a code, and then the door clicked. Dan pulled it open and waved Phil inside.

 

Once inside, Phil found himself in a wide lobby with marble floors and a chandelier hung from the ceiling. On the far side he could see the shining chrome doors of a lift. To the left, there was a huge, wooden desk, behind which sat a blonde-haired Alpha.

 

Dan stepped inside then too and motioned for Phil to follow him onward.

 

As they passed the Alpha, she bowed forward in her seat a bit and murmured, “My Lord.”

 

Phil swallowed. Where exactly had Dan brought him?

 

Once the lift doors had closed behind them and Dan had punched another code into the keypad inside, he reached for Phil’s hand once more, gripping it almost painfully tight.

 

“I haven’t been here in six months,” he breathed, staring ahead at the blank doors in front of them.

 

Phil didn’t know what to do, other than hold his hand back, so he gave it another reassuring squeeze. Then the lift dinged, and the doors opened, and they stepped out into a small entryway. There was a marble-topped table there, with an empty vase on top and a mirror hung on the wall above it. Phil could see his and Dan’s own pale reflections in it.

 

They stepped out, and the lift doors closed behind them.

 

He heard Dan draw in a deep breath, and then they walked forward into the next room.

 

It was a huge apartment with a wide, open floor plan. Phil guessed they were now in the living room, though all the furniture was hidden under white covers. On the far side of the room, the windows rose floor to ceiling, affording a view out over the entire neighborhood. Phil guessed that on a less cloudy day, they could see for miles from here.

 

“After the funeral, I had it closed it up,” Dan whispered, and he turned to look at the Omega’s wan face. “Had everything put in covers. The building has a cleaning service that comes once a week to dust and vacuum, and I send Tony over once a month to check everything’s as it should be, but otherwise… No one’s lived here since David died.”

 

Phil gazed around again with wide eyes. So this was _Dan’s_ apartment? He and his Alpha had had _all_ this space just to themselves? His mind boggled at the idea.

 

“I just didn’t want to deal with it, you know?” Dan was saying. “He was gone, but he’d left me all of this, and I just…” He stopped and drew in another deep breath. “I guess I ran away. I ran away back home to my Father because it seemed easier than having to manage life all on my own. I…I’ve never had to make my own decisions before. I always had an Alpha to do that for me, either my Father or David.”

 

He dropped Phil’s hand then and turned around to face him. Phil ripped his gaze away from the gorgeous apartment and back to the Omega’s face.

 

“I brought you here today because I’ve decided I’m going to sell this place,” Dan said, raising his chin almost in a gesture of defiance. Phil guessed he wasn’t the one being defied, though. “I’ve got to deal with things on my own, for my sake and for yours,” he continued. “If we’re both going to be happy, I’ve got to start making my own decisions.”

 

Phil felt a lump rise in his throat then. 

 

“Dan,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. 

 

“Wait,” the Omega stopped him with a raised hand. “There’s one more thing.” He swallowed, like he was preparing himself for something. “I’m going to sell the place and all the furniture and everything, and I’m going to buy you from my Father.”

 

The Alpha felt his heart stop for a moment. What was Dan trying to say?

 

“It’s the only way I can guarantee you’ll be set free,” Dan explained. “I’ll buy you from him and then I’ll set you free myself.”

 

Phil’s heart suddenly leapt into motion again. He threw himself at Dan, wrapping his arms tightly around him and raining kisses down upon his face.

 

“Thank you, thank you,” he murmured between kisses. “Thank you so much.”

 

A thought then cut his excitement off just as quickly as it had started.

 

“Wait,” he said, pulling back and staring anxiously at Dan. There were tears glittering on his cheeks, but Phil pushed that fact aside to worry about later. “Do you know how much I cost? I heard Alpha Howell discussing it with the slave master, and it’s…it’s a huge amount of money, Dan. I mean… I don’t know how much this apartment is worth or anything, but—“

 

“Phil,” the Omega murmured, reaching out his arms and drawing him in close again, “I have a pretty good idea of how much you cost, and believe me, I can afford it.” He pressed a soft kiss against Phil’s cheek. “This apartment isn’t all David left me, not to mention what my Father put aside for me to inherit upon my marriage. I promise you, I have plenty.”

 

“Oh,” Phil said.

 

_Oh._ He was… He was actually going to be free. If Dan had the money for it, and his Father was willing to sell him…

 

Phil opened his mouth again, a new worry cropping up, but Dan stopped him with another kiss.

 

“Let me handle it,” he murmured when he’d pulled away again. “I’ll take care of everything.”

 

Phil nodded. He could trust Dan in this. He _had_ to trust to Dan. He had no other choice, but whatever his doubts might be about Alpha Howell, there was one thing he was sure of — that Dan loved him and wanted what was best for him.

 

It was a grey and cloudy Sunday morning in October, and as Dan led him through the shrouded rooms of the apartment, the light outside began to fade, the sky growing darker and more thunderous. About half an hour after they had arrived, the clouds opened up and began to dump buckets of rain down upon the city. 

 

Dan grabbed a fluffy throw blanket from the linen closet, and wrapped up together in it, the two of them sat on the living room rug, watching the rain stream down the windows and blur the cityscape outside.

 

“I don’t think I’m gonna take my suppressant pill today,” Dan said after a while. “I think I’m going to stop taking them entirely.” He leaned his head over onto Phil’s shoulder. “Would you be okay with that?”

 

Phil thought about it. Three months ago when he’d first met Dan — had it really only been three months? — the thought of sharing the Omega’s heat had terrified him. Now it was something that he almost physically longed for.

 

“I think I’d really like that,” Phil replied. “Do you mind me asking what made you change your mind?”

 

Dan shook his head to say he didn’t mind.

 

“I don’t know when my Dad will be back,” he explained, “and it just seems too risky to keep faking my heats. We didn’t get caught the first time, but there’s no guarantee we’ll be so lucky in the future.” He snuggled a little closer. “Also, it’s something I really want to share with you, at least once.”

 

Phil’s heart gave a flutter inside his chest. Dan wanted exactly what he wanted. And then he thought about that final phrase — _at least once_.

 

“What do you mean?” he asked.

 

Dan was silent for the space of several breaths. When he spoke again, his voice was very quiet.

 

“I love you, Phil,” he murmured, “a lot. More than I thought I was ever capable of loving anyone. But…I don’t think I’m ready to be bonded again yet. I rushed into it way too fast the first time, and then I just felt trapped. I need time…maybe a lot of time…before I’m ready to make that kind of commitment again.”

 

He paused, allowing Phil time to turn over what he had said. It made sense. Of course, it made sense, yet Phil still felt a strong wave of disappointment. Had he really already gotten so attached to the idea of bonding with Dan?

 

He frowned at the rainy window in front of him. He was still only seventeen, after all. His eighteenth birthday was still more than three months away, and as much as he loved Dan… This was his first time falling in love as well. Why was he so eager to rush into bonding? The more he turned the thought over in his mind, the more he realized that he kind of felt the same way Dan did. Some deep instinct inside him was urging him to claim the Omega, to bind Dan to him, to make him his and his alone. But the rest of him was still unsure. This was all still so new to him.

 

“I think I want to wait, too,” he said after a long time. “I think you’re right. We aren’t ready to bond yet.”

 

He heard the Omega let out a long sigh.

 

“Thank you,” he breathed, bending his head back so he could drop a kiss on the side of Phil’s throat. “Thank you for understanding.”

 

Beneath their warm blanket, Phil slid his arm around Dan’s shoulders and held him close against his side. He hadn’t a clue what the future might hold, what Dan’s Father would do, whether or not they would even one day bond, but for now, he was sure that this was enough. Just the two of them, like this — it was all he could ask for, and more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much. We're getting close to the end! I'm going to be very busy this weekend, so unfortunately I'm going to have to make you all wait a while for the next chapter. Look for it Thursday of next week (May 11). <3


	16. Week 12: Sunday Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The situation comes to a head.

His phone buzzed in his pocket two minutes after the car pulled away from his old apartment.

 

**_Smelly_ **

_mum’s looking for you and she’s pissed_

 

**_Dan_ **

_why_

 

**_Smelly_ **

_about phil’s rut_

 

**_Smelly_ **

_celia told dad, dad told mum_

 

“Shit,” he murmured under his breath.

 

“What’s wrong?” Phil asked from beside him.

 

“Mum’s looking for me,” he said, frowning down at his phone. “She’s apparently not very happy about me, um, taking matters into my own hands where you’re concerned.”

 

“Oh,” the Alpha replied after a moment.

 

Dan cast him a glance from the corner of his eye. He knew he could bring his Dad around. He was positive that he could disguise his motives where _he_ was concerned. His mum, though… She had a certain instinct for sniffing out Dan’s underlying thoughts. He’d always had a much harder time lying to her, at least when it came to really important things.

 

**_Dan_ **

_is she at the house_

 

Leila didn’t respond right away, so Dan drew in a deep breath and then turned to Phil. 

 

“I should talk to her alone,” he said. “Would you mind waiting in your room once we get to the house? I’ll send for you again once I’ve gotten rid of her.”

 

Phil nodded.

 

“Okay,” he said.

 

Dan bit his lip. Something in the Alpha’s eyes made him worry he had hurt his feelings.

 

“It’s just— I think I might have to lie to her about you, and it’ll be a lot easier to do that if you aren’t there.”

 

“Lie to her about me?” Phil repeated.

 

“Yeah,” Dan rushed to explain. “My mum knows me really well. I think she might…like, have guessed that I have feelings for you.”

 

“I guess you don’t want your parents to know,” the Alpha said, voice very quiet.

 

“No, I don’t,” Dan agreed. Then he sighed, casting a glance toward the driver. It was times like these that he was glad for the glass divider between the front seat and the back. “My parents might disagree about most things, but one thing they are in perfect agreement on is that I should make another brilliant match. My mum’s not been as insistent that I marry again immediately, but she does want me to marry again— and well.”

 

“So,” Phil said slowly, his eyes dropping down to stare at the empty expanse of black leather between them. “You aren’t going to tell them about us?”

 

“No, not yet,” Dan said. “Not until you’re safely free.”

 

Phil’s eyes jerked up to his face then, resting there before he gave a little nod.

 

“I understand,” he said. “You think your Father wouldn’t sell me to you if he knew you wanted to free me.”

 

Dan thought a little, chewing at the inside of his mouth for a moment.

 

“Not even that, exactly,” he said. Then his phone buzzed, and he looked down to see Leila’s response.

 

**_Smelly_ **

_yeah the house slaves told her you were out so she’s waiting in your room_

 

“I don’t think he would sell you to me if he knew how I felt about you,” Dan finished and then typed out his response to Leila.

 

**_Dan_ **

_okay. thanks for the warning_

 

**_Smelly_ **

_repay me by telling me what’s up with you and phil. finally admit your feelings you idiot???_

 

He shook his head, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He could deal with Leila later.

 

“How are you going to convince him to sell me to you then?” Phil asked. Dan could hear that panicked note in his voice, the one that always crept in when they started discussing his freedom.

 

“I can handle my Dad, Phil,” he told him, reaching over and squeezing his knee. “I promise. And I can handle my mum. You just have to trust me.”

 

The Alpha nodded and then raised his hand and took hold of Dan’s. He wove their fingers together and held on tight. Dan gripped his hand back just as tightly.

 

 

 

His mum was seated in one of the chairs beside his fireplace. He wasn’t surprised to see that she had had the house slaves build a fire there. She’d always been cold-natured, and the day’s rainstorm had swept in on a wave of chill air from the north.

 

She looked up when the door clicked shut behind him, and her eyes narrowed at once.

 

“So you went out to your old place with your Alpha slave, did you?” she demanded, back straight and chin up in her haughtiest pose. “Thinking of moving back?”

 

“No,” he said, walking over and settling himself in the chair across from her. He met her haughty gaze with one of his own. “I’m thinking of selling it.”

 

He knew she’d led with an unexpected question to throw him off his guard and show him she could find out anything about his doings that she wanted. But he was far too used to her high-handed methods to be intimidated.

 

“And I suppose your Alpha slave is an experienced realtor?” she suggested, leaning back against the chair’s cushions and crossing her ankles, showing him she was completely at her ease. It was another attempt to unsettle him.

 

“No,” Dan returned, sitting back as well. “It was my first time going back there, and I didn’t really fancy going alone.”

 

Though her posture didn’t shift in the slightest, he saw the softening in her expression. A hit!

 

“Why did you cancel the Omega you’d ordered and deal with the slave yourself?” she asked, point blank.

 

But he’d had time to prepare his answer to that question in the car on the drive back. He really did owe Leila.

 

“Because I didn’t like the idea of someone else touching something that belongs to me,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

 

It was an answer specifically designed for her ears— and his Father’s. He knew that whatever he told her would be repeated to his Alpha Father almost immediately, though perhaps filtered through her own particular biases. She’d always been jealous, his mum. Once upon a time, she’d cried and thrown fits every time she’d learned of one of his Father’s lovers. Eventually, she’d given up on him, but now she kept meticulous tabs on her own Alpha lover’s every movement. He knew this particular excuse would appeal to that possessive streak.

 

“Still, you could have found another way— toys, perhaps,” she countered. “No Omega of your birth should have to subject himself to the needs of a slave, for goodness’ sake.”

 

Dan raised both eyebrows now, as though he found her suggestion utterly surprising.

 

“You act as though having to help an Alpha through rut were an unpleasant task,” he said. And then he shifted his expression a bit, allowing a sympathetic warmth to fill his eyes. “Perhaps for you it is,” he added.

 

He saw the very slight tightening of skin around her lips. A second hit!

 

“I would think that it is, not unpleasant exactly, but uncomfortable for an Omega who is not…naturally receptive,” she said, lowering her eyes primly. That was her polite way of saying that he had not been in heat. “And you can’t lie to me and tell me you were. I know better,” she added.

 

“Of course I wasn’t,” Dan shrugged. “It would be nice if my times matched up with his, but even with David, they never did.”

 

That left her at a loss for a moment. He could see the gears turning behind her eyes, trying to figure him out, determine whether he was hiding something or if, as he was making it seem, she had merely misunderstood his motives.

 

“Do you love him?” she asked all of a sudden.

 

He had to admit, he hadn’t been expecting her to ask outright. Somehow, though, he kept his composure.

 

He wrinkled his nose and let his lip curl delicately.

 

“In love?” he repeated. “With a slave?”

 

She raised an eyebrow, narrowing her eyes again as she studied him.

 

“It does sound rather ridiculous,” she conceded. “But in your vulnerable state, it wouldn’t be entirely unexpected.”

 

He allowed a small huff of air to pass through his nostrils.

 

“Please, Mother,” he said. “I’ve had to go through a rather difficult time, but that doesn’t mean I’ve lost all sense of decency.”

 

She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, which she then let out as a sigh. He had to hide his smile of triumph.

 

“I suppose not,” she said, allowing her eyes to flutter open again. “Very well, then,” she said, pushing herself up from her chair. “But I hope you understand that your behavior has been very strange.”

 

“Has it?” he asked, wrinkling his forehead. Then he shrugged. “I’ve only been doing what pleases me most, as I always do.”

 

She laughed a little at that and then reached her hand down to squeeze his shoulder.

 

“Yes,” she agreed, shaking her head. “You always do.”

 

Her hand fell from his shoulder, and he thought she would leave then, but to his surprise, she bent forward and dropped a kiss on the top of his head.

 

“It’s been years since you were short enough for me to do that,” she said when she’d stood upright again. He turned his neck so he could see her face. She was gazing down at him with a wistful smile. “You know your Father and I only want what’s best for you.”

 

_And what’s best for the family_ , Dan added in his head.

 

Out loud, he said, “Yes, I know that, Mum. Thank you.”

 

“Of course, sweetie,” she said, her smile widening. “And don’t think you’ve heard the end of this,” she added, turning toward the door again. “Your Father won’t drop it as easily as I am,” she called over her shoulder.

 

“Yes, Mum,” he replied, frowning down at his hands as he heard his door open and then click shut again.

 

His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it. It was probably just Leila demanding more explanations from him, and he had too much on his mind to deal with her right now. He pulled his phone out, stood and tossed it on the chair he’d just been sitting in.

 

A shower would help him clear his head right now. He sighed as he made his way to the next room. And then he would have to call for Phil and find a way to ease the Alpha’s worries when his own were only growing greater by the moment.

 

 

**

 

 

When Phil reached the foot of the stairs that led down into the slave quarters, the first thing he noticed was the sound of raised voices nearby. Once he had stepped out into the corridor, the source of them was immediately obvious.

 

There were two people stood in front of the door to his room: Beta Alex and a second Beta whom he’d never seen before but who was tall and muscular and dressed very much like Dan’s bodyguard, Beta Nat.

 

“My mistress insists on seeing Alpha Phil now,” Alex was saying. “Once she has finished with him, then you can take him wherever it is you need to go.”

 

“My apologies to your mistress,” the strange Beta replied in a slow but firm voice, “but Omega Howell explicitly ordered me to take the Alpha slave into custody at once.”

 

Phil froze where he stood, several paces away from the two arguing Betas. They hadn’t noticed him yet. Dan had told him to stay in his own quarters until he’d finished speaking to his mother, but what he’d just heard made him certain that that was the worst possible plan.

 

As quietly as he could, he backtracked to the stairs, tiptoeing up them until he’d reached the corridor that led onto Dan’s quarters again. He couldn’t go there either, not if Dan’s mother was there and she was bent on having that beefy Beta “take him into custody.” A tremor passed through him, and for a moment his knees felt weak.

 

No. He gave himself a shake. Now was not the time to give in to fear. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the frantic beating of his heart.

 

Leila. He should go to Leila’s rooms. Beta Alex had said that Leila wanted to see him, but… But they’d also said that after that the strange Beta would be free to take him where he would. What if it turned out Leila was in agreement with her parents? What if she just let them take Phil away?

 

“Oh good! There you are,” he heard a voice say then, and his head jerked up to see Beta Elizabeth approaching from the opposite end of the corridor, an armful of books clutched to her chest. “Do you have time to help me with my German now?”

 

Phil almost shook his head, but then he stopped. If Omega Howell had people searching for him, her Beta daughter’s quarters would probably be one of the last places they’d think to look. And maybe he could have Beta Elizabeth text Dan or call him to come to her quarters so Phil could warn him about what their mother was trying to do.

 

“Sure,” Phil said, hurrying over to her, keeping as quiet as possible in hopes that their conversation hadn’t penetrated the heavy door into Dan’s quarters.

 

The young Beta grinned at him and then turned and led the way back down the dark stairs that led into the atrium. She started chatting to him about whatever it was in her homework that had her stumped, but the blood was pounding so loudly in his ears that everything sounded like he was underwater. As they made their way through the atrium and then up a different set of stairs into the family quarters, his eyes darted here and there, desperate to assure him that there was no one about to see them.

 

It wasn’t until they were safely in Beta Elizabeth’s quarters with the door shut behind them that he was finally able to take a deep, calming breath again.

 

“Phil?” 

 

He shook his head, blinking rapidly to clear the fuzzy lines that had started forming in front of his eyes. He couldn’t panic. Not now.

 

“Yes, Beta Elizabeth?” he replied.

 

“Are you all right?” she asked. “You seem really out of it. Are you coming down with something?”

 

He stared at her for a moment. Her eyebrows were raised and there was a faint frown wrinkling the skin between them. She was still really young. He hated having to depend on a child, but for the moment, she was the best he had.

 

“I need your help, Beta Elizabeth,” he said after a moment. He could hear that his voice was shaking.

 

The frown on her face was replaced by an expression of incredulity.

 

“You need….me? To help you?” she repeated. “What do you mean?”

 

He sucked in a breath and then let it out, hearing how it shuddered as it passed through his lips.

 

“I need you to text Dan and tell him I’m here but that he shouldn’t tell your mother that.”

 

Her eyebrows snapped together again at once.

 

“You need me to text my brother to tell him to lie to our mum?” she asked. “What’s wrong? Weren’t you just with him? Why can’t you tell him yourself?”

 

Phil bit his lip. She really was just a kid. There was no way anyone would have told her about something like Dan hiring a prostitute to help Phil with his rut and then changing his mind and sharing it himself. He wondered what she really knew about him and Dan at all. Did she even know why Alpha Howell had bought him in the first place?

 

“I’m very sorry, Beta Elizabeth, to ask you to do something like this. I know it’s not my place—“

 

“It certainly isn’t,” she agreed, her lips turning down in a rather disapproving expression.

 

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, panic rising in his chest again. “It’s just that… I think Omega Howell wants to take me away without telling Dan. And…and…I know I belong to Alpha Howell, and he has the right to do what he wants with me, but…” He stopped, his words cut off by the hysterical tears that closed his throat and threatened to consume him at any moment.

 

Beta Elizabeth was still frowning at him, though the disapproval had melted from her expression to be replaced by confusion. She stared at him for a second longer and then turned to a side table, where she dumped her books unceremoniously.

 

“Come here,” she ordered, beckoning him over to the rug in front of her cold fireplace. She plopped down there, and after a moment, he found that he was able to move his legs, and somehow he made his way over and sat down across from her. “Okay,” she said once he was seated. She was leveling a serious-eyed gaze at him, and her arms were wrapped around her knees. “I don’t really understand what’s wrong or why you want me to text Dan, but… I know Dan likes you and trusts you. Please. Explain it to me again.”

 

Phil gripped his hands together in his lap and did his best to swallow the lump in his throat.

 

“I think Omega Howell is going to try to sell me without Dan’s knowledge,” he began, closing his eyes for a moment to let the dizzy fear that threatened to overwhelm him pass. “Alpha Leila texted him earlier to say that Omega Howell was here and wanted to talk to him about me.” He opened his eyes again to see that her face still held that serious look. “Dan said it was best if he spoke to her alone and sent me to my room. When I went to my room, I saw Beta Alex — Alpha Leila’s body slave — arguing with a Beta bodyguard I didn’t recognize. The bodyguard said Omega Howell had ordered him to take me into custody at once.”

 

He saw the young Beta’s eyes go wide, and then she looked away. There was still confusion in her expression. He knew she wasn’t sure whether or not to believe him.

 

“If you could just text Dan and ask him to come here,” Phil pleaded. “You don’t even have to tell him why.”

 

Her eyes glanced back at him, wary under her pale brows.

 

“Does he really let you just call him Dan like that?” she asked all of a sudden.

 

Phil froze. He’d been so panicked that he hadn’t even realized he wasn’t using Dan’s title. Well, too late to hide it now. He nodded.

 

“He asked me not to use his title,” he explained. “He said it made him feel strange.”

 

She frowned a little, and her eyes darted away again. She seemed to be thinking, turning his words over in her mind, weighing her options. There was a real possibility, he knew, that she would decide it was best just to turn him over to Omega Howell. After all, who was she more likely to trust: him, a slave, or her own mother?

 

“Okay,” she said after a long time, turning back toward him. “Okay, all I have to do is text Dan to come here, right?”

 

Phil nodded, trying to hide how eager he was.

 

She bit her lips and then pulled her phone from her pocket, unlocking it and pulling up her messages app while watching Phil out of the corner of her eye. He watched her type out the message and then hit send, and the relief that flooded through him was tangible.

 

She slipped her phone back into her pocket and then hugged her knees against her chest again.

 

“Why does Mum want to sell you anyway? What did you do?” she asked.

 

He wanted to exclaim that he hadn’t done anything. What had he ever done in his life to deserve being sold into slavery by people he’d thought of almost as parents? To be held captive in the saddest, dreariest circumstances possible for two years? To then be auctioned off as a glorified sex toy? And now, when things had finally taken a turn for the better, to find that his brief happiness was on the verge of being snatched away from him again?

 

He shook his head. How could he tell Beta Elizabeth any of that?

 

“I… I’m a complication in your parents’ plans for Dan’s future,” he said at last.

 

Her confused frown returned.

 

“Then why did Dad even buy you in the first place?” she demanded.

 

A blush colored his cheeks.

 

“I, um….well…” he stammered, averting his eyes.

 

“Oh, I know it’s because of all that Alpha-Omega nonsense,” he heard her say in a voice that made it clear she found the entire topic ridiculous. “Truly, human mating habits are the most baffling in the entire animal kingdom,” she huffed. He looked up to see her rolling her eyes. “Take humpback whales, for example,” she told him, shuffling a bit and sitting up straighter. “They mate once a year, in the winter. The males compete for the chance to mate and then they do and the female is pregnant, and it’s all over and done with for at least another year.” She shrugged and held out a hand. “Simple and tidy. So why do humans have this whole complicated system of three designations with different mating styles that aren’t always perfectly compatible, and marriage and bonding and jealousy—“ She huffed in exasperation. “Evolution should have simplified things for us ages ago, and yet,” she shrugged, “here we are.”

 

Phil offered her a nod and a smile in response, glad she’d been distracted from her earlier question. Even if she did seem to have some sort of idea of what his purpose in Dan’s life was, he still didn’t feel up to trying to explain Dan’s feelings for him, or his for the Omega. He hoped Dan would text back soon.

 

“The prevailing theory,” she was continuing, warming to her theme, “and really the one that in my opinion is best supported by the evidence, is that Betas and Alphas and Omegas are in fact two completely distinct species of human who diverged evolutionarily early on but, despite developing very different reproductive methods, still remained capable of mating to produce fertile offspr—“

 

Her phone buzzed loudly in her pocket then, and Phil closed his eyes in relief.

 

“Huh?” he heard her say. “Oh.”

 

His eyes popped open again.

 

“What is it, Beta Elizabeth?” he asked.

 

“It’s Leila,” she said, glaring down at her phone. “Wants to know if I’ve seen you anywhere.”

 

All at once Phil’s heart was clamoring in his throat again.

 

“What are you going to tell her?” he asked, voice barely louder than a whisper.

 

Her eyes flickered up to his face and then down to her phone again. She bit her lips and then typed out a response. He saw her thumb hit the send button and held his breath.

 

She looked up at him as she slid her phone into her pocket again.

 

“I told her I thought that you were with Dan,” she said. Her eyes had gone round and solemn, and he wondered if she were scared. She’d just lied to her older Alpha sister for him.

 

“Thank you,” he breathed.

 

She nodded and then bit her lips again.

 

“So,” she said, hugging her knees close once more. “Think you can help me with that German homework now?”

 

 

**

 

 

When Dan turned off the shower at last, he heard voices out in his room.

 

“—your insistence on protecting a slave who not only threatens this family’s very position in society but also seems to have turned runaway—“

 

“If he’s run away, whose fault is that then, Mother?”

 

Dan stopped in his tracks. For a moment, he stood dripping on the plush, black bathroom rug, while next door his mother’s voice warned his sister not to try her patience.

 

He swallowed.

 

If they were there, in his quarters, talking about a runaway slave, then—

 

_Phil_.

 

He snatched a towel from the wall and rubbed it over him as quickly as he could. He hadn’t bothered bringing clothes into the bathroom with him— No need here in his own private quarters.

 

Instead, he wrapped the towel tightly around himself and then slammed the door open, marching out into his bedroom with a determined glower on his face.

 

His mother and his sister both stopped in the middle of their argument and turned to look at him. They were stood at the foot of his bed, just inside the door that led out into the sitting room.

 

“Is Phil with you?” Leila asked at once, taking a step toward him. “Elizabeth thought he must be—“

 

“I’ve sent Phil out on an errand,” he said, raising an eyebrow in an expression of faint question. “Do you need him for something?”

 

He could see his mother crossing her arms over her chest behind Leila and guessed she wasn’t buying his story. Still, she had no proof that Dan hadn’t ordered Phil to go to whatever location he was in right now. Dan guessed that was not in his own room in the slave quarters.

 

“I sent Alex down to his room because I wanted to, um, talk to him,” Leila said, casting a glance at their mother, “but he wasn’t there.”

 

Dan nodded.

 

“He might be gone a while,” he said. “I’ll send him to see you when he gets back.”

 

Only then did he turn to his mother, who was regarding him with that same narrow-eyed gaze she’d used on him before.

 

“You’ll send him to me when he gets back,” she stated in icy tones. “I don’t see what your Alpha sister can want with your Alpha slave, but whatever it is can wait.”

 

Dan, despite still being dripping wet and dressed in nothing but a towel, crossed his own arms across his own chest and returned her glare for glare.

 

“And I don’t see what my Omega mother can want so badly with my Alpha slave,” he said. “Leila likes to use Phil as an extra player when she has a new video game. What are you planning to do with him?”

 

She closed her eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh. He felt his whole body seize up with tension.

 

“Your Alpha Father has requested I have him appraised for re-sale,” she said and then opened her eyes to pin him with a challenging stare. “I hope I needn’t remind you that _he_ is the slave’s owner and not you.”

 

Dan’s blood turned to ice in his veins. _Fuck_. He’d thought he had more time.

 

“What’s the rush?” he heard Leila demanding. “Dan’s bonding mark has barely even faded.”

 

“It is your Father’s belief that it would not be healthy to allow the slave to remain with Dan any longer,” their mother said, her eyes still fixed on Dan, “and I am inclined to agree with him.”

 

He did his best to still the trembling that had started in his limbs. So he hadn’t fooled her after all.

 

“That’s ridiculous,” Leila exclaimed. “That’s it. I’m calling Dad.”

 

“Wait,” Dan said, holding out a hand to stop her as she slid her phone from her pocket. “I’ll call him.”

 

“He isn’t changing his mind on this,” his mum said at once.

 

He shook his head. That didn’t matter. Whether his Father changed his mind or not, he was _not_ , under any circumstances, going to sell Phil again.

 

He wrapped his towel more tightly around himself and marched past his mother and sister, who obligingly stepped apart to let him through. His phone still lay where he’d left it on the chair in the sitting room.

 

He picked it up and clicked the home button. There was a series of texts waiting for him there.

 

**_Smelly_ **

_if phil is there don’t tell mum_

 

**_Smelly_ **

_we can’t find phil is he with you?_

 

**_Liz_ **

_please come to my room now_

 

**_Smelly_ **

_i think mum’s got someone looking for phil i sent alex to find him first_

 

He heard his mother and Leila approaching, so he slid right and typed in his password. His heart was pounding in his chest, but he did his best to ignore it.

 

“I doubt he’ll even answer,” he heard his mum saying. “It’s after midnight there now.”

 

“Is it?” he asked, scrolling through his contacts until he found ‘Dad.’ He realized he didn’t even know what country his Father was in right now. It almost made him want to laugh.

 

He pressed the call button.

 

It rang twice before his Father picked up.

 

“I’ve been expecting you,” he said. He sounded tired. That didn’t bode well.

 

“You can’t sell Phil.” There was no pretending his Dad didn’t know what he was calling about, and if Alpha Howell was tired after a long day of work, he’d probably appreciate Dan just cutting to the chase.

 

“Of course I can,” his Father replied. “I own him.”

 

“You know what I mean,” Dan said. “You shouldn’t sell him. I don’t want you to.”

 

“I know you don’t want me to,” Alpha Howell returned. “That’s one of the reasons why I have decided to do so.”

 

“Why?” Dan asked at once. All of his carefully constructed lies were out the window now. Might as well just go for the direct gambit.

 

“Because you’re growing too attached to him. It isn’t good for you.”

 

“And I’m not to be the judge of what’s good for me?”

 

There was a pause on the other end.

 

“Maybe someday, Dan, but not yet,” his Father said at last. “You’re barely nineteen, and you’ve just been through a very traumatic experience—“

 

“I’m getting over it just fine, Dad,” he said. “If you’d been around at all these past three months, you would have noticed that.”

 

He couldn’t help glancing over at his sister, who met his eyes with a single raised eyebrow. He was testing his luck, he knew.

 

“I know you don’t mean that, Daniel,” Alpha Howell said in that voice he reserved for moments when his children were being truly trying. “So I’m going to do you the courtesy of overlooking it and pointing out that regardless of how much you’ve improved, a young Omega of your standing who falls in love with a slave cannot have himself as well in hand as you pretend.”

 

“People of my standing fall in love with their slaves all the time,” Dan objected, glancing up into his sister’s eyes again. He didn’t miss the smirk playing around the corners of her lips. If he managed to pull this off, she was going to be _so_ smug. “Just because no one likes to talk about it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.”

 

“That may be true,” Alpha Howell conceded, “but it’s still no reason to let you ruin your future over a slave.”

 

“In what way would my alleged love for a slave ruin my future?”

 

He heard an exasperated ‘humph’ and looked over to see his mother rolling her eyes. He was glad, at least, that his Dad was the one he had to convince. He doubted Omega Howell would have had the patience to sit through this entire argument.

 

“Don’t tell me you would happily give him up once it came time for you to marry,” his Father scoffed. “There’s no way you can claim that with a straight face.”

 

“I won’t claim it,” Dan said, straightening his back despite the fact that his Father couldn’t see him. “Because I don’t plan to marry again.”

 

His mother gasped, but on the other end of the line, his Father fell completely silent.

 

He heard him sigh then.

 

“This is exactly what I mean, Dan,” he said. “This little romance of yours has clouded your judgment. If you were thinking straight, you’d know how ridiculous that is.”

 

“Why is it ridiculous?”

 

“The fact that you even have to ask me that—“

 

“No, don’t do that,” Dan cut him off. “Don’t pretend like you’re the only one capable of being reasonable. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a while now.”

 

“Well, isn’t that convenient,” his Father muttered.

 

“No, it isn’t convenient,” Dan said. “What would be much more convenient is if I wanted what you wanted for me, but I simply don’t. I used to think I did,” he said and then paused, looking at Leila, who gave him a small nod of encouragement. He took a deep breath. “I married David because I knew it was what you wanted. Not just you, everyone. Everyone expected me to get married to someone like David, so when he proposed, I said yes.”

 

“You know I didn’t force you to say yes, Dan,” Alpha Howell intoned. “I told you to take your time to make your decision.”

 

“I know, I know,” Dan sighed. “But if it hadn’t been David, it would have been someone else just like him. You wouldn’t have let me keep saying no forever. And I thought I wanted it, too, you know. I thought I wanted the glamorous wedding and the title and the position— But now that I’ve had all of it, and the marriage and the bonding too, I realize that I really didn’t want any of it. And I don’t know that I ever will.”

 

He heard his Father sigh on the other end of the line. He could just picture the way he would be rubbing a hand against his temple. There was probably a tumbler of whisky somewhere nearby, perhaps with a single ice cube in it, the way he liked it best.

 

“You can’t just not marry, Dan,” he said at last, sounding irritable. “It just won’t do.”

 

“Why not?” Dan asked. “I have money, enough to support myself comfortably for the rest of my life. If I decide I want children someday, I have years yet to have them.”

 

“You need an Alpha to take care of you.”

 

And there it was, at last— The real reason his Father was so bent on him marrying.

 

“I have an Alpha,” he said quietly.

 

“A _real_ Alpha, I mean,” Alpha Howell corrected himself.

 

“Phil is a real Alpha,” Dan countered. “He gives me everything I need.”

 

“You need someone reliable, someone who can help you make your way in the world,” his Father argued. “What does a slave know about that?”

 

“He doesn’t need to know about that,” Dan returned. “At least, not yet. I have you and Mum and Leila and Louisa and Claire— I have lots of people to take care of me. Not to mention I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

 

“Oh, don’t give me any of that independent Omega nonsense,” his Father huffed. “Who was the one who immediately came running home as soon as his Alpha was gone?”

 

Dan winced. All right, so his Father did have a point there. But that was the old him.

 

“It’s what anyone would have done at a time like that,” Dan objected. “It doesn’t mean that I couldn’t have handled things on my own, just that I didn’t want to if I didn’t have to. And speaking of that, I’m moving out.”

 

He heard a little cheer and looked over to see Leila waving her hands in the air in excitement. He cast her a quick grin before turning his attention back to the indignant voice on the other end of the line.

 

“You’ve still got another six months of mourning left,” Alpha Howell was saying. “It wouldn’t be seemly.”

 

“Then you admit it’s far too early for me to be thinking of marrying again,” Dan said.

 

“Well, of course it is, but that doesn’t mean—“

 

“Then why are you trying to sell Phil already? I still need him.”

 

“Dan—“

 

“If you’re so insistent on selling him, then sell him to me.”

 

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

 

“What in the world makes you think that I would sell him to you? The best thing for you both is to separate you now, before any further damage is done.”

 

“Sell him to me,” Dan insisted, “for the original price you paid. You’ll get back every cent you spent on him.”

 

His Father let out an elegant snort.

 

“What, and then you’ll keep him as your Alpha? Bond with him when your mark fades? Bond yourself to a slave?”

 

“No,” Dan said. “I’m going to free him.”

 

Alpha Howell let out a short bark of laughter. 

 

“Even better!” he exclaimed. “You’ll free him and then suddenly realize that you did want to get married again after all.”

 

Dan clenched his teeth together, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out gradually to calm the slow boil of his blood.

 

“I don’t want to get married again,” he said. “I told you that, and I meant it. I want to free Phil because he deserves to have a choice. If he wants to stay with me, without any guarantee that we’ll bond or marry or have children, then that will be his choice, but if he wants to leave and go find himself an Omega who does want those things, then he should be able to choose to do that too.”

 

His Father was so quiet on the other end of the line that he thought for a moment that the call had dropped. But no sooner had he pulled the phone away from his ear to check the screen than he heard his Father’s voice again.

 

“If you really mean that,” he said, “then I’ll make a deal with you.”

 

Dan’s heart stopped for a moment.

 

“Go on,” he said.

 

“If you’re serious about this whole thing, about not wanting to marry or bond again or have children, then I’ll sell your Alpha slave to you. On one condition.”

 

“And that is?”

 

“You can’t bond or marry, anyone at all, for the next ten years — unless I agree to the match.”

 

Dan was stunned into silence. 

 

Ten years? How could his Alpha Father ask something like that of him? Sure, he didn’t think he wanted to marry again now, but how could he know what he would want one year from now or five, much less ten?

 

“If you’re serious about this,” his Father repeated, “that shouldn’t be too hard for you to promise.”

 

Dan thought about it. If he made this agreement with his Father, he could buy Phil from him and set him free, just as he had promised. Phil would be free… Free to leave Dan once he learned that they couldn’t get married or, worse, bond for at least ten years. In ten years Dan would be nearly _thirty_. By that time, there was a chance he wouldn’t even be able to have children anymore. It happened sometimes — Omegas losing their fertility by the age of thirty. It was one of the reasons so many families insisted on marrying their Omega children off young.

 

But if he didn’t agree to this…Phil would be sold. Dan himself would be free, to marry or not, to bond or not, to find a new lover or not, but Phil would still be a slave, owned by who knew what sort of master.

 

In the end, it really wasn’t any choice at all.

 

“It’s a deal.”

 

 

**

 

 

Phil was twenty minutes into the worst tutoring session he’d possibly ever given when there came a knock at the door of Beta Elizabeth’s quarters.

 

“Who is it?” she called, hopping up from the floor where her textbook and notebooks were spread. Phil hopped up too, wondering if it would be any use to dash into the other room if the person on the other side of the door ended up being Omega Howell or one of her minions.

 

“It’s me,” came Dan’s voice from the other side, and Phil immediately felt as empty as a deflated balloon.

 

It was Dan. At last.

 

“Come in,” Beta Elizabeth said, and the door creaked open to admit Dan.

 

Phil noted right away that he looked like he’d been crying. He also noted the damp hair and the fact that his collar was askew and his shirt not properly tucked in. Phil frowned. Dan never let himself leave his room looking like that.

 

“Is Phil h— Oh, thank god, Phil,” he exclaimed, shoving the door open and running to throw his arms around the Alpha. Phil wrapped him up in his own arms and squeezed tight, breathing in deeply of the Omega’s beloved scent. He’d come that close to losing him forever. _That_ close.

 

“Shh, shh,” he whispered as he felt Dan’s body begin to shake with sobs. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m here.”

 

It took a while for Dan to cry all of his tears out, but he finally did and then stepped back to gaze up at Phil’s face with something akin to wonder.

 

“You’re here,” he said. “Oh, thank goodness you’re safe.”

 

Phil dropped his arms from around the Omega and then raised his hands to brush the tears from his upturned face.

 

“I’m safe, thanks to Beta Elizabeth.”

 

“Oh, yes,” Dan exclaimed, turning to where his sister stood staring at them from near the fireplace. “Thank you, Liz. Really, thank you. You don’t know how much this means—“ But he couldn’t finish his sentence because his face had crumpled up into tears again.

 

He calmed down more quickly this time, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket after a few seconds and cleaning his eyes and nose with it while Beta Elizabeth murmured a soft “You’re welcome.'

 

“I called Father,” the Omega explained once he’d put his handkerchief away again. “And I got him to agree to sell you to me.”

 

Phil’s mouth actually fell open. And then as Dan’s words began to work their way through his brain, a grin slowly dawned on his face.

 

“He did?” he breathed. “He really did?”

 

Dan bit his lip, more tears peeking out at the corners of his eyes.

 

“Yes, he really did,” he confirmed. “Phil, you’re going to be free.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a couple more chapters now. Thank you all so much for sticking with me this far! <3<3 Next chapter on Sunday.


	17. Week 12: Monday - Thursday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan's heat.

Alpha Howell wasn’t coming home until Friday, but now that Phil knew he’d agreed to free him, he thought he could handle waiting that long. Dan had explained that he and his Dad had made a deal — as long as Dan paid full price for him, Alpha Howell was willing to sell. Phil was surprised Dan’s Father had given in so easily, but Dan assured him it had taken some serious arguing. He marveled that the Omega had managed to be so persuasive.

 

On Monday morning, Dan took him back to the flat to meet with a realtor and an appraiser. They spent a few hours there while Dan discussed how he wanted to list the property and which items were or weren’t for sale.

 

After a quick lunch — sushi, like the very first time Dan had taken him out — the realtor took them to see several potential new flats for Dan to buy. They were smaller than the old one — cozier, was how Dan described what he was looking for to the realtor. Last night, before they’d fallen asleep, he’d told Phil he wanted to set aside some of the money from the sale for the future rather than spending it all on the next property.

 

“We’re only looking for somewhere temporary right now anyway. I’m thinking I’d like to invest in a smaller property and see if we can raise the value with some improvements before we sell it again,” he’d explained as they lay together in his bed after turning the lights out.

 

Phil hadn’t missed the “we.” It made his insides feel all fluttery.

 

“Dan,” he’d asked after a moment’s hesitation. “Do you mean you want me to live there with you?”

 

They’d been lying wrapped up together, with his arms around Dan and Dan’s head against his chest. He’d felt the Omega nod.

 

“Yes, if you want to,” he’d murmured. “I’m thinking of getting a place just big enough for two.”

 

It had taken a moment for Phil to feel capable of speech. His heart had leapt into his throat.

 

“I do want to,” he’d said finally. “I’d love to live together, but… I don’t want to be dependent on you forever.”

 

Dan had hummed a soft, “Mm hmm” in response.

 

“I guessed as much,” he said. “That’s part of the reason I wanted to set aside some of the money — to pay for you to go back to school.”

 

Phil had squeezed him then, hard, too overcome with emotion to think of anything to say. It was more than he’d ever thought possible — the chance to go back and finish his education, maybe even go to university. Even back before he’d been sold, that was something he’d hardly even let himself dream of. His parents’ owners had been fine allowing him to go to free public school, but he’d doubted they would be willing to pay his university fees. It was one of the reasons he’d studied so hard back then; he’d been hoping to earn a scholarship.

 

Of course he wasn’t going to just let Dan pay for it all either. He would get a job, he’d decided. He’d help contribute toward their living costs and also set some aside for university…and he’d keep studying hard so that maybe he could still get a scholarship—

 

“Assuming you want to go back to school, that is,” Dan had added on.

 

“Of course I do,” he’d said at once. “I want to get a job that will let me support myself.”

 

And someday, he would save enough to pay Dan back, every last penny he was going to spend on Phil.

 

“Good,” Dan had said and scooted up to plant a soft kiss on his lips.

 

The soft kiss had soon turned into a harder one and then their hands had begun to wander and their breath to quicken, and after a while, Dan had pulled back and said he wanted Phil inside him, now.

 

Phil had wanted that too, except there was something that had happened during his rut that he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about, so when he’d pushed up Dan’s night shirt and pulled down his pretty, lacy underwear, he’d knelt down between his legs and asked Dan if he could taste him again.

 

A smile had curved the Omega’s lips.

 

“You want to suck me again?” he’d murmured, gazing down at the Alpha knelt between his spread thighs.

 

“No,” Phil had said, ignoring the heat that rose into his cheeks. “I want to taste you, um, down there.”

 

The Omega had grown still and quiet for a moment, and when he’d finally answered, his voice had been all breathy and soft.

 

“Okay,” he’d said.

 

So Phil had crouched down and gently pushed his thighs apart further. The Omega’s skin had been a pale blue in the bright moonlight pouring through his window. It had made everything feel mysterious and dreamlike. He’d run a palm slowly up the smooth inside of Dan’s thigh, relishing the warmth and softness of the skin there. The Omega had shivered and reached a hand down to brush the fingertips over his cheek.

 

He hadn’t been sure if there was a right or wrong way to do this, but he’d known Dan would tell him if he didn’t like what he was doing. He’d cast a quick glance up at the Omega’s face and seen the glint of moonlight in his eyes as they followed him. He’d smiled and then bent to part the Omega’s soft cheeks. The area between them had lain in shadow, so he’d closed his eyes and gone by feel alone, stretching out his tongue until it had touched hot skin. When it had, he’d felt Dan shift and sigh a bit. Between his own legs, his cock had given a little throb in response.

 

He’d pressed the tip of his tongue tentatively against the tight folds of skin, remembering how Dan had whimpered and moaned so loudly when he’d done this before. As he’d stroked over the Omega’s entrance with his tongue this time, he’d heard him let out a low whine. He’d reached up a hand and gripped one of his thighs, feeling the way it trembled beneath his palm.

 

He’d pushed his tongue in further, surprised again by how delicious Dan tasted here. He wasn’t sure how long they’d lain like that, with his head nestled between Dan’s thighs, tongue lapping lazily over his entrance, while the Omega shivered and let out soft moans.

 

Eventually, though, Dan had grown too impatient, just like last time, and had ordered Phil to stretch him, and Phil had happily complied. In no time, he’d had three slicked-up fingers plunged deep inside Dan’s hole. He didn’t think he would ever get over the thrill of that, of being able to touch Dan that way, to be inside him, to bring him to ecstasy.

 

When his hole was slick and loose, Dan had sat up and pushed him down onto the bed and pulled down his pajama bottoms. The Alpha had lain back against the mattress and closed his eyes and concentrated on the way Dan sucked him in between his lips, making his dick grow so stiff it almost ached.

 

After a moment, the Omega had slid off of him again and murmured, “Ready for me to ride you?”

 

He’d opened his eyes and seen Dan lying there between his legs, propped up on his elbows, their positions now reversed. Once he knew Phil was looking at him, he had leaned over and rubbed his cheek against the Alpha’s erection that stood tall above his abdomen, making his hips give a little jerk upward.

 

He’d bit his lip and nodded, still a little awed by the fact that he was actually having sex with Dan. The fact that he was having sex at all still seemed kind of unreal to him, but add to that the knowledge that it was Dan lying there and touching him like that — Dan, who was so beautiful, who just by being near could make his heart pound — it only added to the feeling that all of this was happening in some kind of wonderful dream.

 

Dan had turned his head to press a quick kiss against the feverish skin of his erection before reaching over to the nightstand for a condom. He was so much faster than Phil had been, unwrapping it and sliding it onto Phil in a matter of seconds. Then he’d drizzled lube onto it, shooting Phil a saucy glance as he spread it down his hard-on with one hand.

 

“You know I could just get you off like this,” he’d purred, squeezing his hand a bit more tightly around Phil’s cock as he slid it back up and then down again. The Alpha hadn’t been able to keep from rutting his hips up a couple of times into the Omega’s slippery hand.

 

“Dan…” he’d panted.

 

One side of the Omega’s mouth had risen in a smirk.

 

“You’re lucky I want to ride this gorgeous cock of yours so badly,” he’d murmured, pushing himself up off the bed. Phil had bit his lip and watched as the Omega placed a knee either side of his torso, reached down to grasp his erect member and then guided it to his entrance. “Oh, _fuck_ ,” Dan had breathed out as he slid down onto him, his passage tight around Phil’s thick cock.

 

“Does it feel good?” Phil had asked in a breathless voice, thinking he might explode right then and there from how amazing Dan’s body felt around him.

 

“Your cock,” Dan had panted, sliding down a little further, “feels fucking,” he’d continued, pushing up and then starting to slide down again, “amazing.”

 

Phil had squeezed his eyes shut then, overwhelmed by the sensations. Dan’s hand had suddenly grasped his, and he’d opened his eyes in time to see the Omega bringing his hand up to his hip. He’d wrapped his hand around the Omega’s slender body and then, when Dan nodded toward his other hand, raised it and wrapped it around the other side.

 

And then he’d watched as the Omega fucked himself on his cock, pausing every now and then to move his hips in a slow circle that let him feel every inch of his pulsating inner walls.

 

“Oh, god,” he’d gasped the first time Dan had done that, and the Omega had grinned down at him and then pulled one of his hands up to press a quick kiss against his knuckles.

 

“You like that?” he’d asked, doing it again, and Phil had answered with a loud, involuntary groan.

 

He hadn’t lasted much longer after that. In a few minutes he’d been coming, hands gripped tightly around the Omega’s narrow hips as he thrust up into his tight, hot hole.

 

When it was over, he’d blushed and apologized, mortified that he hadn’t been able to hold out any longer than that and that Dan still hadn’t gotten off. But the Omega had shushed him and told him it was fine, and when he’d slid off and gotten rid of the condom, he’d crawled up the bed so that he could crouch right in front of Phil’s face.

 

It had taken the Alpha a moment to understand what he wanted, but then he’d opened his mouth, letting his jaw go slack the way he remembered Dan had done for him before, and the Omega had fucked his mouth. He’d gone slow at first, but then as Phil had grown more accustomed to the feel of a cock sliding in and out between his lips, the Omega had reached down and grasped either side of his face and, whispering all the while how hot and sexy and delicious his mouth felt, face-fucked him until he’d been right on the brink of coming.

 

“Can I come on your face?” he’d asked then, in between panting breaths, letting go of Phil’s face so that he could lean back against the bed again.

 

Phil had stared up at him, aglow with the aftermath of his own orgasm and the warm satisfaction the Omega’s praise had kindled inside him, and he’d smiled and nodded. So Dan had taken hold of his cock, slippery with Phil’s saliva and jerked it fast until his cum had spurted out all over Phil’s cheeks and lips and into his open mouth.

 

He’d licked as much of it off as he could, surprised that the taste was so much better this time than he’d remembered. Maybe he was just getting more used to it.

 

Dan had collapsed beside him then, so he had been the one to reach for the tissues on the bedside table, cleaning his face first and then Dan’s hand and body.

 

The Omega had lain there, watching him with eyes glazed over with affection and pleasure and sleep.

 

“I love you,” he’d murmured when Phil was done cleaning him.

 

“I love you,” Phil had said back, collapsing beside him and pulling him close.

 

He’d dreamed that night of being free, and in the morning when he’d woken, the Omega had told him they were going shopping for a new home that day.

 

Dan didn’t end up liking any of the places the realtor showed them that afternoon, but she assured him she had several more to take him to the next day.

 

By the time they returned home late Monday, they were both exhausted, and after a quiet dinner and a shared shower, they turned in early and both quickly dropped off to sleep.

 

On Tuesday morning, they stopped by the old flat again, and Phil was amazed at how different everything looked. The covers had been removed, and everything had been dusted and cleaned and shined, ready to be shown to potential buyers. Dan had approved but had asked for a few small changes — fresh flowers for the vases, full settings on the table in the formal dining room.

 

“We want them to be able to envision themselves living here,” he’d explained, and the realtor had agreed to make the changes at once.

 

The first couple of places she took them to that morning left Dan rather cold — Phil had frankly been wowed by every place they’d seen so far — but the third flat seemed to be just what he was looking for.

 

It was quite small by comparison to the Howell residence or the flat he was getting ready to sell. It had two bedrooms, a master and a guest, an office, a living room, a combined kitchen-dining area, and a sunny balcony that looked out over an inner courtyard with a fountain and a little garden.

 

“What do you think?” Dan asked as they stood on the balcony watching a young couple play with a baby down in the courtyard below. “We could make the second bedroom your room rather than a guest room, if you would like to have your own space. Or, of course, we could keep looking.”

 

“I, uh, I think I’m fine sharing with you,” Phil said. “The master bedroom is pretty big, and there’s plenty of space in the rest of the flat for us to do our own thing when we want.”

 

“Okay,” Dan said, smiling up at him from the corner of his eye. “It seems quiet here, and friendly, and it’s not too far from home or from Claire’s. And I think some updates to the kitchen and new fixtures in the guest bath could significantly increase the value.”

 

Phil nodded. He didn’t know much about investing in property or making renovations or anything like that, but he liked the idea of embarking on a project like this together with Dan.

 

“We’ll take it,” Dan announced, turning to the realtor who had waited discreetly back inside the living room.

 

“Excellent,” she said. “I’ll call the owners now to set up the contracts.”

 

Phil was amazed at how quickly it all happened. Within a few hours, the terms of the sale had been decided, the contract drawn up, the price paid outright, and Dan had signed everything. Just like that, he’d become the owner of a new flat.

 

“I’d like Phil listed as co-owner,” he had said as the paperwork was being finalized.

 

The contract lawyer the realtor had brought in had raised her eyebrow and cast a surprised glance toward the Alpha.

 

“Very good, Sir,” she’d said. “I’ll just need his full name.”

 

Dan had opened his mouth to tell her, but Phil had placed a hand on his arm and asked if he could speak to him privately.

 

“Just a moment,” Dan had told the lawyer, and she’d inclined her head in agreement.

 

Dan had drawn him into an empty office and asked him what was wrong.

 

“Can we wait?” Phil had asked, twisting his fingers together in front of him. “Until after I’m free, I mean.”

 

“If you really want to,” Dan had said, wrinkling his eyebrows. “I just thought I’d do it now to make things easier. I want your name to be on it too, just in case…” He paused and gave Phil a quick, tight smile. “Just in case anything unexpected happens.”

 

Phil had nodded. He understood what Dan meant. After losing David, he must be acutely aware of how quickly life could change, and Phil was very grateful that he was willing to take care of him like that.

 

“It’s just… I want to change my name,” he’d explained. “After I’m free, I want to change my last name. Because right now my legal name is _their_ name— My parents’ owners, I mean, and I don’t want…” He paused as a knot of anger and grief welled up in the back of his throat. “I want my own name once I’m free.”

 

Dan had reached out and squeezed his hand.

 

“Okay,” he’d said. “I’ll have your name added once you’re free.”

 

“Thank you,” Phil had smiled, glad that Dan seemed to understand. Of course they could put his old name down now and then change it later, but…he _hated_ that name, hated it in a way that he knew was irrational. It didn’t matter, though. He would just have to be irrational.

 

That afternoon, they’d stood together in their new apartment, an arm around each other’s waist, talking about what kind of furniture might look good in each room and what color schemes they would each prefer. Phil really wanted everything to be bright and cheerful while Dan argued that more subdued and neutral tones would be more aesthetically pleasing.

 

They’d finally compromised by agreeing to mostly neutral tones with the occasional splash of color.

 

“Now that that’s out of the way,” Dan said, “tomorrow I’ll check in with a hiring agency about finding us someone to cook and clean.”

 

“I can cook and clean,” Phil told him. “Why do we need to hire someone?”

 

Dan turned a startled look on him.

 

“Do you actually _want_ to cook and clean, though? I mean, you aren’t my slave anymore, Phil, or at least, you won’t be for much longer. I don’t want you to always feel like you’re serving me or—“

 

“I like cooking and cleaning,” Phil countered. “And I feel weird having other people wait on me. And…I mean, I may not be able to contribute to the household with money for a while, so I’d like to at least be able to do something—“

 

“How about this,” Dan cut in, studying him with a thoughtful expression. “I’ll hire someone to come and clean once a week, but you can do the cooking and the small, everyday cleaning chores.”

 

Phil nodded slowly.

 

“Once you’re in school, though,” Dan added with a frown, “I want you to be able to just concentrate on your studies.”

 

“We can talk about it more when the time comes,” Phil shrugged.

 

There were a few more little discussions like that they ended up having on Tuesday night and then throughout Wednesday as they shopped for furniture with the interior designer Dan had hired. No matter how much they disagreed on things like paint colors or style of silverware, though, Phil felt practically giddy with happiness the entire time.

 

It was like they were a young, newlywed couple just beginning their new life together. He wondered if they would actually get married someday — but that was something to worry about in the future, once they’d been together for a few years rather than just a few months.

 

On Wednesday night, when they were finally alone together in Dan’s quarters again, Dan pulled him down and kissed him in a way that he could only describe as desperate.

 

When they’d pulled apart again, he stared down at the Omega in a daze, wondering if his heat hormones were beginning to kick in.

 

“What was that for?” he asked with a breathless laugh.

 

The Omega returned his gaze with eyes dark with emotion.

 

“Because I want you,” he murmured.

 

He ended up fucking him bent over the edge of the bed with Dan clutching the black fabric of the sheets in his fists while the Alpha sank his cock inside his arse and his teeth into his shoulder.

 

He couldn’t help noticing the little bit of slick glistening on the Omega’s inner thighs when he had pulled down his pants.

 

“I think you’re about to go into heat,” Phil said later when they’d both washed and changed into pajamas.

 

“Mm,” Dan hummed his agreement, snuggling himself closer to the Alpha’s chest. “Probably tomorrow night,” he mumbled, already half-asleep.

 

It took Phil longer to drift off that night, as he considered what it would be like, having sex with Dan while he was in heat. The idea of it was no longer the least bit frightening to him. He was getting more comfortable with sex in general, but also after having gone through his rut with Dan, he was no longer very worried about somehow accidentally hurting him either. He had seen that the Omega knew what he was doing and knew how to tell him what he needed.

 

He thought back to what it had been like, feeling his knot swell and then sliding it inside of Dan, tying their bodies together, as though they had temporarily become a single person.

 

A small shudder of anticipation passed through him. He wanted that again so badly.

 

 

**

 

 

They ended up staying home on Thursday. When Dan woke in the morning, he was even more sure that his heat would be arriving within the next twelve hours or so. His body felt too warm — he’d pushed Phil and all the covers off him in the middle of the night, though it was October and temperatures outside had already grown frigid — and he had that uneasy, on edge feeling that always made the hours leading up to his heat so uncomfortable.

 

Over breakfast, Phil commented that he could smell the heat on him already, and that’s what decided Dan that he definitely should not go out anywhere today. Going out in public smelling like heat would be just asking for trouble.

 

Instead, they stayed in his quarters, lounging on his bed and watching shows together on his laptop. They'd just finished the third episode of his new favorite TV show, when Phil suddenly turned to him and said, “Hey, there’s something I wanted to ask you, about your heat, I mean.”

 

Dan reached down and paused the next episode that had just been about to start.

 

“Sure,” he said, pushing the laptop aside and flopping back into his pile of pillows. He was tired yet strangely restless — a sure sign that his heat was imminent.

 

“Well,” the Alpha said, lying down and propping himself up on one elbow so that he could still easily meet Dan’s eyes. Dan could see that there was excitement but also a touch of nervousness in the Alpha’s gaze. “What if we, um— When we, you know, have sex during your heat, I mean… What if we, uh, did it without a condom?” His eyes flicked away and then back up to Dan’s again. “I mean, you’re on birth control too, right?”

 

“I am,” Dan said slowly, chewing the inside of his lip as he thought about what Phil was suggesting. He’d always used condoms, except with David, though of course he still got tested regularly to make sure he hadn’t contracted anything. He’d definitely made sure to get tested after he’d returned from France, so he knew he was clean. Still… For Dan, it was a huge step to take in a relationship — one he’d previously only ever felt capable of taking after _marriage_. He drew in a deep breath and let it out again, looking up into the Alpha’s anxious gaze. “I… I don’t know how I’d feel about that,” he said at last. “What makes you ask?”

 

He watched as the Alpha’s soft eyebrows drew together, waited for him to put his thoughts together.

 

“I guess…I was thinking about what you said before, that you wanted to share your heat with me, at least once.” He paused and swallowed. “I want…to feel closer to you, I guess. I want…” This time when he paused, his whole face flushed pink, “I-I want to feel what it’s like to come inside you.” He said this last part all in a rush, his eyes dropping from Dan’s face down to the bedspread between them.

 

Dan felt his heart rate pick up as the Alpha’s words worked their way through his mind. He could almost imagine it — the feeling of hot cum spilling out inside of him as an Alpha’s thick knot swelled and lodged against his entrance.

 

A warm shiver passed through him at the thought. It wasn’t like he and Phil would get the chance to experience that together again, not for a very long time at least…

 

“Okay,” he finally said. “I want to feel what that’s like too.”

 

A smile split the Alpha’s lips as his eyes rose to meet Dan’s again.

 

It was amazing to Dan how much Phil had changed over these past few months. He distinctly remembered how awkward and embarrassed he’d been helping Dan fake his heat back during their first week together. And now, here he was, able to speak up and ask for the kind of sex he wanted and staring down at Dan in a way that made his whole body flush with warmth.

 

He reached up his arms, and Phil sank down between them at once, sliding his own arms around Dan’s back and letting himself be kissed slowly and fervently.

 

It took mere seconds for Dan to get hard and for slick to start leaking out onto his thighs, but he forced himself to stop, to pull back and let them both calm down again. They needed to conserve their energy for the main event.

 

After lunch, they both dozed off in his bed, but Dan woke abruptly at about 4:30 drenched in sweat and trembling all over. He quickly sat up and began to pull his clothes off, desperate to feel cool, fresh air on his overheated skin. 

 

He’d pulled his jeans most of the way down his legs when Phil began to stir beside him, awakened by the sudden commotion.

 

“Dan?” he asked in a groggy voice, rolling over to squint at the Omega. He still wasn’t awake enough to understand that Dan’s heat was starting.

 

Dan finally managed to kick his jeans the rest of the way off and drop them over the side of the bed. Then he fell back onto the duvet again, breathing hard, and turned to look at Phil, a desperate, wordless plea in his eyes.

 

The Alpha blinked at him for just a moment longer before he at last caught a whiff of the scent oozing out of Dan’s every pore. His eyes snapped open wide at once, and he growled low in his throat.

 

“Alpha,” Dan murmured, the sound making his heart begin to beat even faster. He held out his arms again, and Phil was on him at once, taking his lips first before making his way down to the Omega’s throat.

 

Dan whined at the contact, burying his nose in the hair at the side of the Alpha’s head and breathing deeply of his scent. It both soothed and aroused him further, the scent of Alpha that was also the scent of Phil.

 

He found that he had tilted his head all the way back, baring a long expanse of neck for the Alpha to kiss and lick and suck at. When he felt the Alpha’s teeth nip lightly at the skin, he let out a low whine and rubbed himself up against the Alpha’s thigh.

 

“You’re still wearing clothes,” he complained after a moment. “Take ‘em off.”

 

He heard the Alpha growl again, and then he bit down a little harder on his neck, making him let out a startled gasp.

 

“Be patient,” Phil murmured against his skin and then licked his tongue over the bite to soothe it.

 

A delicious thrill of excitement worked its way up through his abdomen. He’d forgotten how his heat pheromones affected Phil. Even the faint trace of pheromones that he had given off last time had been enough to make Phil lose control and pin him to the bed for a moment. Another shiver passed through him as he imagined what Phil might do now.

 

“Play a game with me,” the Omega said then, and the Alpha pulled back and stared down at him with narrowed eyes.

 

“A game?” he repeated. His voice had gone very low and intense.

 

Dan’s mouth widened in a sly grin.

 

“Yeah, I wanna see how many times I can pop your knot before my heat is over,” he purred, reaching a hand up and smoothing his palm down the Alpha’s jean-clad thigh.

 

The Alpha let out another growl and then took hold of his wrist, pulling Dan’s hand off his thigh and then up to his lips. He pressed a kiss against the inside of his wrist, never taking his eyes off Dan’s the entire time.

 

Dan couldn’t help squirming a little, the tension in his abdomen pulling tighter and his dick growing painfully hard.

 

“Please,” he begged, biting his lip and gazing up at the Alpha with pleading eyes.

 

“Fine,” Phil sighed, letting go of Dan’s wrist and then reaching down to start pulling off the t-shirt he was wearing.

 

“No, no, let me,” Dan said, sitting up and taking hold of Phil’s shirt himself. The Alpha’s hands dropped to his sides, and he knelt in expectant silence as the Omega swiftly pulled his shirt over his head, tossed it off the bed, and then moved down to the button of his jeans.

 

He smiled up at Phil as he slowly unhooked the button and then unzipped the zipper and slid the jeans down his thighs. The heat and desperation inside him were mounting by the second, his instincts begging him to lie back, to spread his legs, to demand the Alpha’s knot _now_.

 

It had become a personal game with him, though, to deny himself for as long as he could, to prove that he was master of his own impulses.

 

Seeing the Alpha’s erection now, straining against his boxers, made that task significantly more difficult. God, he wanted Phil inside him so. fucking. much.

 

He felt the Alpha’s fingers slide into his hair, and with a whimper he pressed his face against the soft cotton of his boxers, inhaling deeply of his intoxicating scent. He rubbed his cheek against it, knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that this was Omega behavior — marking his Alpha’s cock with his own scent, laying claim to what belonged to him.

 

“Mmm,” he heard Phil moan, his fingers tightening in Dan’s hair.

 

He reached up and slid Phil’s boxers down, pausing for a moment to admire the rosy color of the Alpha’s stiff cock. He left his boxers where they were, halfway down his thighs, and reached a hand up to grasp it, loving how thick and hot it felt against his palm, loving the silky way the foreskin moved as he slid his hand down and then up again.

 

He had to tear himself away from it, sitting back for just long enough to rip his own underwear off and fling them onto the growing pile of clothes on the floor.

 

Suddenly the room was filled with the scent of slick, and he turned back to Phil just in time to see his erection twitch in response.

 

“You smell like sex,” the Alpha rumbled, stretching out an arm to wrap it around Dan’s waist and pull him in against his body. The Omega turned his head to the side at once, showing the Alpha his neck, begging to be scented, and the Alpha complied at once, lowering his face and rubbing it all along the heated skin of his throat.

 

But he only let him do so for a moment before he took control of himself and the situation again. Sliding down out of the Alpha’s grasp, he pressed a kiss first against his tummy, just below his belly button, shooting a smirk up at him as he did so, before dropping down lower where he teased the head of the Alpha’s cock with just the tip of his tongue.

 

He grinned to himself when he heard the Alpha suck in a sharp breath.

 

He continued further down, tickling the taut skin of his shaft with the lightest of tiny licks, all the way down to the base, and then he crouched down on hands and knees and spread a series of broad licks across the wrinkled skin of the Alpha’s balls.

 

“Oh….shit…” he heard Phil groan and then, without warning, he opened his mouth and sucked one of his balls inside, running his tongue over it and giving it a couple of strong sucks before releasing it and taking the other one into his mouth in its place. The Alpha plunged the fingers of both hands into his hair, gripping his head hard and letting out a muttered curse. He sucked gently for a moment before releasing the second one and raising his head to settle his mouth over the tip of the Alpha’s dick instead.

 

He heard a gasp as he sank a little farther down. He tilted his head back so that he could see the Alpha’s face. He was staring down at Dan, open-mouthed, eyes half-lidded with lust.

 

Dan reached back and ran the fingers of one hand through the coating of slick that was now continuously leaking from his swollen entrance. When his fingers were nice and wet with it, he lifted his hand up to the Alpha’s mouth, holding his slick-coated fingers just in front of his lips. The Alpha’s eyes flared wide for a moment, and then he stuck out his tongue and licked experimentally over the tip of one of Dan’s fingers. His eyes dropped closed, and he let out a little moan. If Dan hadn’t had his mouth full of dick, he might have laughed. He guessed Phil liked the way his slick tasted.

 

The Alpha’s eyes popped open again, and he quickly lapped the rest of the slick from Dan’s fingers and then leaned forward and sucked on them until they were completely clean again. Dan accompanied this with his own sucking, pulling at the Alpha’s dick with his mouth until he groaned again.

 

When Phil let go of his fingers at last, he reached back and gathered more slick for him, bringing his fingers back up to his mouth, and this time the Alpha sucked them in at once, greedily swallowing down the thick moisture from Dan’s hole.

 

Dan moaned around the Alpha’s dick, pushing it into his mouth all the way down to the base, loving the way it overwhelmed him, filling him up to the back of his throat.

 

He pulled off slowly as Phil released his fingers again, and brought his hand down to stroke it up and down the Alpha’s erection, slippery now with his saliva. Keeping his hand curled around the base, he lowered his tongue to the head again, playing over the rounded ridge, the leaking slit, the little folds of skin that bunched right beneath the tip.

 

Phil let out a long, shuddering groan, and that’s when he felt the swelling underneath his palm, just above the base of the Alpha’s cock — his knot was starting to form, teased out by the Omega’s mouth and the scent and taste of his slick.

 

Dan dropped his hand and leaned back, breaking off all contact with the Alpha, and Phil’s eyes popped open, staring down at him with an expression that was practically hurt.

 

“What— Don’t stop. Please,” he whined, reaching out to try to pull the Omega’s head back down to his twitching cock, but Dan evaded him with a small, shaky laugh.

 

“Not yet,” he said, scooting away and out of the Alpha’s reach. “Can’t let you cum until you’re inside me.”

 

The Alpha whimpered, but Dan just lay back against the pillows, spreading his legs open to give the Alpha a tantalizing view of his leaking, pink hole.

 

“You seemed to really like the flavor of slick,” he murmured, curling one finger and beckoning Phil closer. “Maybe you should have some more.”

 

The Alpha stared at him for a moment, and Dan half-expected him to forget all about their little game and just climb on top of him and fuck him right now where he lay. The feverish pounding of blood in Dan’s head seemed to be urging him to beg the Alpha to do just that — he was perfectly positioned for him now, after all, spread open, wet and ready for a knot.

 

But Phil didn’t forget.

 

Instead he crawled over and lowered himself onto his elbows in between Dan’s thighs just as he had a few nights ago, and with one more reproachful look into the Omega’s eyes, he lowered his face to Dan’s waiting hole and began to lick slowly over the thick trails of slick sliding out from inside it.

 

With the hormones of Dan’s heat coursing through his bloodstream, every little movement the Alpha made was intensified a hundredfold, and the sensation of his warm tongue lapping over his sensitive, swollen entrance was so overwhelming, he could only close his eyes and whimper as his fingers clawed at the bedsheets.

 

“Oh, please, oh please, oh, Alpha, please,” he heard himself gasping, and his voice seemed far away, the only immediate thing the feel of Phil’s tongue, pressing into him, penetrating his entrance, loose and open as his body prepared itself for the Alpha’s cock.

 

He felt the tip of the Alpha’s tongue curl inside him, pushing in as far as it would go, rubbing across his inner walls and making his whole body shake with the strength of his need.

 

He didn’t think his little game was going to last very long this time.

 

His hand came up and cupped itself around the back of the Alpha’s neck, and Phil raised his head from between his thighs to give him a lazy grin.

 

“Please, what, Omega?” he asked, but Dan just shook his head, too overcome with the intensity of it all to come up with something to reply with.

 

The Alpha’s smile gentled and deepened, and he crawled forward then, dropping a swift kiss on the Omega’s cock, where it lay thick and red against his stomach. Dan cried out at the light touch, but the Alpha crawled even farther forward and bent near his ear, murmuring soft things, telling him he was okay, that his Alpha was here, that he was going to take care of him.

 

“Please,” he whispered back, and it wasn’t until he heard the tremors in his own voice that he realized he was crying.

 

The Alpha’s arms slid under him, raising him up off the bed and cradling him against his bare chest. Dan pushed his face into the Alpha’s warm skin, breathing in his scent and letting it calm him, reassure him.

 

“Are you ready for me to knot you now?” he heard Phil murmur near his ear before he placed a kiss against his hair.

 

He nodded, pulling back and then reaching up to draw the Alpha’s face down for a kiss. His lips were wet with slick and his mouth tasted of it — of Dan, of sex and heat. It was their first time doing this, after all. Maybe it was okay for Dan to lose his game against himself just this once.

 

He leaned away again, disentangling himself from the Alpha’s arms. Then he rolled over onto his stomach, stretching out on the bed beside him and looking back at him over his shoulder.

 

“I like it this way,” he told him and laid his head down against the pillows. He was shaking all over, and down between his legs his cock was aching with frustrated desire. Now that it was pressed against the sheets like this, he couldn’t help rubbing it against the soft fabric a few times, letting out a shuddering sigh at the momentary relief.

 

Phil’s eyes dropped down, taking in his whole body laid out before him before returning to meet his gaze again.

 

“I think I like this too,” he said, grinning, and then crawled over and planted his knees either side of Dan’s slightly raised hips. “You look really hot like this,” he commented, staring down at the Omega’s body beneath him.

 

“Nnn,” Dan whined, raising his hips a little further, offering himself. He was running on pure instinct at this point, with the Alpha hovering above him like that, so close to where he needed him.

 

He heard the Alpha chuckle, and then he felt him leaning forward, resting his weight on one hand while the other slid in between Dan’s buttocks, rubbing through the slick until his fingertips grazed his entrance. Dan whimpered and pushed his face into the pillows as he felt a finger circling his swollen rim and then slipping inside.

 

“Wow,” he heard the Alpha mutter under his breath, “you’re so loose.”

 

He whimpered again as he felt a second and third finger easily slide in beside the first. It felt good, so good, but it was still nowhere near enough. He pushed his hips up and back, forcing the fingers deeper inside him. God he needed to be fucked so badly.

 

The Alpha chuckled again, and then he felt a fourth finger inside him, the first time he’d really felt any kind of stretch, but it was just a small one, even as the Alpha managed to push his knuckles in past the rim. He turned his face to the side, sucking in a deep breath of the air heavy with their scents and raised his hips even higher, practically begging the Alpha to just take him already.

 

“God, you’re beautiful, Dan,” he heard him say as he felt his hand twist inside him and then slide out at last. “Can I fuck you now?”

 

He let out a moan that was almost a sob and nodded his head. He could just see the Alpha from this angle, and he watched with hungry eyes as he lowered the slick-coated hand to his cock, rubbing the moisture over it as he would normally have done with lube. And then he pushed the tip down until it pressed against Dan’s entrance, sliding in almost immediately all the way down to the base as it met absolutely no resistance.

 

Dan cried out at the sudden pleasure that pulsed out from his hole, and through the haze of sensation, he could distantly hear the Alpha groaning too. He couldn’t figure out why he hadn’t just started fucking him already, so he decided he might as well just fuck himself. He lowered his hips toward the bed so that the Alpha’s cock slid most of the way out and then pushed himself back onto it again, taking him all the way inside before lowering his hips to let him slide out again.

 

“Oh, fuck,” the Alpha muttered, and then Dan felt his free hand take hold of his hip, pulling him back up, back onto his cock and then, as Dan lowered his hips toward the bed again, he followed him down, pinning him there so that the Omega no longer had any room to move. Dan let out an impatient whine that was choked off as the Alpha raised himself up and then plunged inside again, the force of his thrust pushing Dan’s hips down into the mattress.

 

“Uh, yes,” he moaned, “fuck me, Alpha, just like that.”

 

The Alpha just grunted in reply, pulling out and thrusting into him again, building up a quick rhythm, fucking Dan harder than he ever had before. Dan knew it was his heat hormones driving him to be wilder, more aggressive than he normally was, or at least he would have known that if he’d had a moment to think between the feeling of the Alpha’s massive cock pounding into him and the lesser, but still pleasurable, feeling of his own cock being squeezed between the mattress and his body with each of the Alpha’s thrusts.

 

He felt a hand press down between his shoulder blades, pushing him further into the mattress, holding him in place so that he had nowhere to go as the Alpha thrust over and over again into him — not that he wanted to go anywhere. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he registered the fact that he was screaming out the Alpha’s name each time he pushed inside.

 

He came within minutes, ecstatic pleasure exploding inside his abdomen as the cum spilled out onto the sheets beneath his stomach, trapped there by his body.

 

But the Alpha was still going, still pounding into his aching hole, and without his knot, the heat just began building inside him again, pushing him steadily toward another orgasm. Then the Alpha’s hand disappeared from his back, and a moment later his entire body was pressed down onto Dan’s, his face bending down beside Dan’s face. Dan turned just enough to let their lips meet, and as they did, the Alpha’s cock slid out, brushing over that one sensitive spot inside him, and all of a sudden he was coming again, his mouth falling open and panting a weak cry into the Alpha’s mouth.

 

“I’m close,” he heard Phil gasp as he slid inside again, and he could feel now that swelling at the base of his cock, his knot beginning to form for the second time today.

 

“Cum inside me, Alpha,” he whimpered and pushed their lips together again in a hungry kiss.

 

Seconds later, Phil tore his lips away and, thrusting deep inside, he bit down into Dan’s bonding gland just as his knot swelled to its fullest extent, locking him inside the Omega’s body. Dan could hear the Alpha growling as cum spurted out within him, a flood of hot moisture filling Dan’s passage and seeping down even deeper inside him.

 

“Breed me, Alpha,” he heard himself sobbing through the waves of pleasure spilling out from his bonding gland, “fill me up. I wanna be full of your cum.”

 

The hot spurts inside him didn’t stop, and he could feel himself growing fuller, though he was already as full as he could possibly be with the Alpha’s thick cock, and the thought of it pushed him over the edge again, imagining Phil’s cum leaking down inside him, into his womb, open now during his heat to receive the Alpha’s seed. His inner walls pulsed and squeezed around the Alpha’s cock, making him groan against Dan’s shoulder which his teeth were still clamped down on tightly.

 

He didn’t know how long it took for the Alpha to stop coming. He only knew that when all was said and done, when they both lay there panting and exhausted, their bodies locked together with a pool of slick and sweat and cum spreading out beneath them, he’d ended up coming five times in total.

 

The air was still heavy with the scent of heat, but Dan’s mind was finally beginning to clear again. He could feel Phil’s breathing growing easier and slower against his back. The Alpha’s body was heavy on top of him and his skin sweaty where it pressed against Dan’s own overheated skin, but he wouldn’t have traded this moment for anything in the world.

 

“That was,” he heard Phil mumble against his shoulder after a while, “that was…really incredible.”

 

He might’ve laughed if he’d had the energy for it.

 

“Yeah,” he agreed in a faint voice. “It was perfect.”

 

“Really?” the Alpha asked. “I was…okay?”

 

He huffed out a breath that was almost a snort.

 

“More than okay,” he said, and then he sighed. Four times he’d gone through this with David, and David had actually been very good at sex — not to mention the fact that they had been bonded — yet still, this was the best heat he’d ever had. Never before had he had this feeling afterward, of utter contentment, utter fulfillment. Maybe that was sad, that his and David’s relationship had always been somehow incomplete, but from his perspective right now, he couldn’t be sad about it. This might be the only time in his entire life that he would ever get to feel this way.

 

He sighed again, a happy sound, and stretched his neck just enough to kiss the only part of Phil his lips could reach right now, his right arm that lay crooked lazily near their faces.

 

The Alpha didn’t respond, and Dan guessed he’d already drifted off to sleep. He didn’t blame him. He let his own eyelids flutter shut and gave in to the sweet blackness that swooped in to silence his mind at once.

 

Let the future worry about itself, he thought. For today he would be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for posting this a bit late. This chapter ended up being rather long. Thank you everyone who has been reading and commenting! I know I say that every time, but I am grateful for it every time. Next chapter on Wednesday. :)


	18. Day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Beginning

Dan woke very early on Friday morning, when the sun’s rays had just barely begun to peek over the edge of his windowsill.

 

He could hear Phil’s deep breathing beside him and smell his strong scent, heavily mixed with Dan’s own at the moment. They’d woken again only briefly yesterday evening, to shower and clean up while the house slaves brought them fresh sheets and tidied the room.

 

Tony had brought food for their dinner, but they’d both been too exhausted to eat more than a few bites. Sitting up now and stretching sore muscles, he noted that someone, probably Tony, had come in and taken the food away again. His stomach gave an angry rumble, and, with a sigh, he stumbled out of bed and over to the intercom to order breakfast.

 

“G’morning,” he mumbled into the speaker.

 

“Good morning, Master Daniel,” came Tony’s voice from the other end at once. For the first time in his life, it occurred to Dan how amazing it was that Tony always seemed to be there at the other end of the intercom, no matter what time of day he called.

 

“Can you bring up breakfast for Phil and me?” he asked.

 

“Right away, Sir,” came the quick response. “Also, Alpha Howell is expected home around 9:30 this morning.”

 

“Thank you, Tony,” Dan replied and then slouched his way back over to the bed. He always felt a little under the weather the day after a heat. At least, as he got older and more used to them, the tiredness didn’t last as long as it used to. He flopped back down on the bed next to Phil and rolled over to look at his sleeping face.

 

Maybe he should wake him. Breakfast would be here soon, and he would want to eat it while it was still hot. Then again maybe Dan should just let him sleep. He wasn’t as accustomed to things like ruts and heats as Dan was, so he probably needed more time to recharge.

 

And once he was done eating, Dan would need to get ready to face his Dad. That was something he would have to do entirely alone.

 

He heard a soft knock at the front door and rolled out of bed to let Tony in. He could have just called for him, he supposed, but that might have woken Phil. The Beta slave entered wordlessly and followed Dan back into his bedroom and to the table where he usually took his meals. Back before he’d gotten married, his mum had required him to join the family for breakfast and dinner each day, but one of the few perks of being a widow was that no one questioned his preference for taking his meals up here instead. He loved his family. He really did, but all of them at once could be quite a handful.

 

Dan ate his meal alone and in silence, thinking through everything he would need to take care of with his Father. He had the money all prepared to be transferred to Alpha Howell once everything had been settled. He hoped it would be over quickly. His Father’s solicitor would be there, he knew, an Alpha named Creighton whom Dan had known his entire life. That, at least, was reassuring. Nevertheless, he had retained a lawyer of his own, Beta Alicia, and he texted her now to ask her to meet with him at 9:30, half an hour earlier than they had originally planned.

 

Phil didn’t stir until Tony came again to clear away Dan’s dirty dishes. His eyes struggled open at last at the sound of the door clicking shut behind the Beta slave. When Dan noticed the Alpha’s movements, he stood from the table and walked over to the bed to smile down at him.

 

“Is that…bacon?” Phil mumbled, raising his nose in the air a bit and sniffing.

 

“Mm hmm,” Dan replied, perching on the edge of the bed and reaching over to brush a bit of fringe out of the Alpha’s eyes. “Tony brought our breakfast.”

 

Phil made a noise of interest and sat up, rubbing at his eyes and yawning.

 

“Man, I’m tired,” he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing. Dan stood too.

 

“That’s pretty normal,” he laughed. “I’ve already eaten, and my Dad will be home soon. I’m going to start getting dressed now.”

 

The Alpha’s eyes snapped to him immediately.

 

“Already?” he asked. His eyes were wide, and he had gone very still.

 

Dan nodded, drawing his lips in between his teeth.

 

“Should I… I mean, can I come with—“

 

“No,” Dan said, shaking his head. “It would be nice to have you there for support, but…I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

 

Phil nodded, eyes flickering away from Dan’s gaze.

 

“Guess I’ll eat now,” he said.

 

Phil too ate alone and in silence, while Dan rifled through his wardrobe to try to find just the right outfit to express the fact that he was absolutely serious about this deal he was making with his Father.

 

Maybe he should have told Phil about it already, but… No. It was better to tell him after it was done — after he was safely free and there was nothing he could do to try to dissuade Dan from going through with it.

 

And then, once he knew, Phil could decide how he felt about their future.

 

When he was finally dressed in all black — both to remind his Father that he was, indeed, still in mourning and to hopefully increase his aura of seriousness — he checked the clock. 8:58. His hands were already trembling.

 

He walked back over to the table and sank into the seat across from Phil.

 

“As soon as everything is settled with my Dad, I’ll take you to the courts and file our petition of manumission," he said.

 

Phil glanced up from his eggs and frowned.

 

“You aren’t going to just mail it in?”

 

“That could take weeks,” Dan shrugged. “If you know the right people to talk to, you can get that sort of thing taken care of in just a few hours.”

 

Phil blinked for a moment, seeming not quite to comprehend what he was saying.

 

“A few hours?” he repeated.

 

“Yes,” Dan replied, in some surprise. “Assuming everything goes according to plan, we should be able to get it all taken care of today.”

 

Phil’s mouth dropped open a bit.

 

“Today?” he asked, his voice a little faint.

 

“Yes,” Dan said with a small, nervous laugh. “Today.” He glanced at the clock. 9:04.

 

The Alpha’s fork was poised above his plate, dropping bits of scrambled egg off the tines. He didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy staring at Dan.

 

“You’re going to free me today,” he repeated and then finally set down his fork.

 

There was a knock at the door, and Dan jumped up.

 

“Yes,” he said again, “so start thinking about what you’d like to do as your first act as a free Alpha.”

 

He left the Alpha there still staring after him and went to the door.

 

“Pardon the interruption, Master Daniel,” Tony said from the other side of the door.

 

“That’s all right, Tony. What is it?”

 

“Alpha Howell has returned home early, and he has brought Alpha Creighton along with him. I thought you would like to know.”

 

There was a sudden sinking feeling in Dan’s stomach, like he’d just fallen off the top of a very tall tower, but he managed to nod and thank the slave.

 

When Tony had left again, he returned to Phil to find him frowning down at his eggs with a wrinkled brow.

 

“I have to go talk to my Alpha Father now,” Dan said.

 

The Alpha looked up at him with dazed eyes.

 

“Good luck,” he murmured.

 

Dan shot him a quick, tight smile.

 

“Good luck to us both,” he said.

 

 

**

 

Dan found his Father in his study, and he couldn’t help remembering that day a year and a half ago when he’d sat in this very room to discuss his marriage with David. It seemed like another lifetime now.

 

His Father was seated in the same spot he had been that time, on one side of a roaring fire. Alpha Creighton was there too, sat at a small desk that had been pulled up nearby with a variety of papers spread out in front of him and a closed laptop at his elbow.

 

They both looked up when Dan was ushered in.

 

“Ah, Dan, you’re here early,” his Father said, raising an eyebrow and narrowing his eyes in amusement.

 

“I could say the same to you,” he replied, making his way over to the empty chair across from his Father. He sat down, keeping his back straight and his expression alert.

 

“I managed to catch an earlier flight than expected,” his Father shrugged and then cast a glance over toward the lawyer, still busy poring over documents. “Creighton here was just drawing up the contracts.”

 

“You won’t mind if I look them over myself as well, Creighton,” Dan said, keeping his eyes on his Father.

 

“Of course not, Sir,” the solicitor replied without looking up. “You’ll see there at the edge of the table the contract of sale that will transfer ownership of the slave in question to you once the sale is complete.”

 

Dan did see the stack of papers. He drew in a deep breath and reached for them. There were only three pages. He took his time reading through them carefully, but it all seemed very straightforward. He guessed his Father had reserved all of the complicated stuff for the _other_ contract.

 

He glanced discreetly at the clock on the mantelpiece. 9:21. Beta Alicia had texted on his way up here to let him know she was en route but might not make it by 9:30. He hoped she at least made it earlier than 10:00.

 

“Is the contract to your satisfaction?” he heard his Father ask and turned his gaze back to him. He was watching Dan closely with his sparkling, dark eyes. They weren’t that different from Dan’s own eyes, he thought.

 

“At first glance, yes,” Dan said, setting the papers back down on the edge of Creighton’s desk. “Of course I’ll need to have my lawyer look everything over before I can sign,” he added with a smile.

 

Alpha Howell raised an eyebrow and then smirked.

 

“I raised you well, didn’t I?” he mused. He relaxed back into his own chair. “Can I call for anything for you? Coffee?”

 

Dan shook his head.

 

“And you are still set on this harebrained scheme of yours?” Alpha Howell continued, crossing his legs and reaching for his own mug of coffee. “Wasting all this money on a slave you merely intend to free.”

 

“I wouldn’t have to waste any money if you would just free him yourself,” Dan returned with a smile to match his Father’s.

 

“Ha!” Alpha Howell exclaimed, setting down his mug again. “Then I would be the one wasting money.”

 

Dan leaned forward a bit, smile still in place.

 

“How is it a waste when he’s already fulfilled the purpose you bought him for?”

 

Alpha Howell pursed his lips.

 

“I bought him to ensure you would be able to marry again as soon as possible,” he pointed out. “He seems to have done the opposite of that.”

 

Dan shrugged and sat back again. He supposed there was no arguing against that.

 

“Dan, there’s something else you should know,” his Father continued, still smiling and at ease. “As long as he remains your slave, you are welcome to house him in the slave quarters. Once he is free, that will no longer be appropriate.”

 

“Of course not,” Dan agreed. “I’m taking him with me to my new place.”

 

“I thought as much,” Alpha Howell said. “And once you take him away with you, you are not to bring him back. This is not his home, and he is not welcome here.”

 

A hot prickle of anger spread across Dan’s skin, and a quick reply sprang to his lips, but it was never to be spoken. There was a knock at the door then, and when his Father called for the person to come in, Tony ushered in Beta Alicia.

 

“Good morning, Omega Chesterworth,” she greeted him with a bright smile.

 

He jumped to his feet, a strong feeling of relief flooding through him.

 

“Good morning, Alicia,” he replied. “Allow me to introduce you to my father, Lord Alpha James Howell, and his lawyer, Alpha Creighton.”

 

“How do you do,” she made her bows to his Father and then acknowledged Creighton with a nod.

 

Dan could see that Alpha Howell was taking her measure by the slight narrowing of his eyes. Creighton merely offered her a responding nod and then turned back to his papers.

 

“Hello, there? Yes, Tony,” called his Father to the Beta slave still stood at the doorway. “Please pull up an extra chair for Beta Alicia and have someone send up fresh coffee, will you?”

 

“Yes, Sir, at once,” Tony replied with a deep bow.

 

When Beta Alicia was settled at the table beside Creighton, she shot Dan a smile and then reached for the contract of sale sitting there.

 

“If you don’t mind—“ she began, and Creighton waved a hand toward her.

 

“No, no, go ahead,” he muttered.

 

The four of them sat in silence for a while, Dan watching the Beta’s face as she read through the brief contract. She maintained the same look of polite concentration throughout. He guessed she must be very good at poker.

 

“This is all very standard,” she told Dan when she had at last finished it. “Also the wording makes it clear that the sale is final. Nothing here is contingent upon the terms of the other contract.”

 

Dan glanced up at his Father, who simply nodded and smiled back at him.

 

“Do you recommend I sign it as is?” he asked her.

 

“Yes, but not yet,” she said. “May I?” This last she directed toward Creighton, reaching towards the finished pages of the second contract.

 

“Yes, of course,” he nodded toward her without looking up from the page he was reading over.

 

Beta Alicia’s expression didn’t change as she read through the second contract either, but Dan noticed she was definitely reading more slowly now. He guessed this one must be less standard.

 

As she finished the first page, she handed it to him. He took it, drew in a deep breath, and then began to read. The first paragraph was just the standard set of definitions: “The party of the first part, hereafter referred to as Lord Alpha Howell…” Then it started getting into the things Dan would be acknowledging when he signed: “I, Omega Daniel James Chesterworth, do hereby acknowledge that by purchasing the aforementioned Alpha slave from Lord Alpha Howell, I am agreeing to the following…”

 

He paused for a moment, took another deep breath, and read on.

 

The first thing he was agreeing to was that he would not marry again without Alpha Howell’s consent for a period of ten years from the day he freed Phil. He frowned. He’d better make sure he finalized his freedom today then.

 

The second thing he was agreeing to was that he would not bond again without Alpha Howell’s consent for a period of ten years, etc. All right. So far, it was more or less what they’d agreed upon.

 

So, what was all the rest of this then?

 

As he read on, his eyes grew wider. His Father had laid out, in careful detail, what consequences would befall Dan should he violate the agreement in various ways. If he did get married again without his Father’s consent before the ten years were up, he would be expelled from the Howell family and written out of his Father’s will. The same if he bonded again.

 

Well, that wasn’t completely unexpected.

 

But there was more. If he made a promise to marry or bond with anyone before the ten years were over, and it was someone Alpha Howell did not approve of, he would be written out of the will.

 

If he had a child with anyone that Alpha Howell did not approve of before the ten years were over, said child would not be acknowledged by the family nor would it be eligible to inherit any of the Howell family holdings or assets.

 

If he chose to co-habitate with anyone that Alpha Howell did not approve of before the ten years were over, said person would not be acknowledged by the family nor would they be welcome in any home or establishment owned by Alpha Howell. The same rule applied to anyone he chose to enter into a long-term romantic relationship with without Alpha Howell’s approval before the ten years were over.

 

He glanced over Beta Alicia’s shoulder to read the closing paragraphs of the contract on the page she was perusing.

 

Dan swallowed. They were harsh terms, but at the same time, he could concede that they were not entirely unfair. After all, his Father had the right to bar anyone he chose from his own home and similarly to refuse to include anyone he wished within his own will.

 

There were two parts, though, that Dan felt he simply could not agree to.

 

“Beta Alicia,” he said, “may I see you outside in the corridor?”

 

“Of course,” she replied, standing at once and setting down the final page of the contract.

 

Dan could feel his Father’s eyes following them out the door, but Alpha Howell kept whatever he was thinking to himself.

 

The moment they were alone in the corridor, Beta Alicia spoke up.

 

“I have the petition of manumission all prepared for you, Omega Chesterworth,” she said. “And I don’t recommend that you agree to all of the terms Lord Alpha Howell has laid out.”

 

“I wasn’t planning to,” Dan agreed with a firm nod.

 

It took them only a few minutes to confer before they re-entered the study.

 

When they’d taken their seats again, Beta Alicia started in at once.

 

“My client is willing to agree to most of the terms of the second contract, but he will not agree to two of them.” She addressed this to Creighton, who looked at Alpha Howell and waited for a nod from him before continuing.

 

“And which two terms are those?”

 

“He will not agree to any potential children of his being disinherited, as in accordance with the Illegitimacy Coda of the Family Laws, illegitimate children can legally be barred from inheriting titles and lands but not from inheriting from the family outright.”

 

Creighton exchanged another glance with Alpha Howell, which was met with another nod.

 

“My client refuses to make the sale if Omega Chesterworth does not agree to this term,” Creighton intoned, staring down his nose at the Beta lawyer.

 

“He cannot legally make such a demand of my client,” Alicia insisted, meeting the Alpha lawyer eye for eye. “The clause is legally indefensible.”

 

“Fine then,” Alpha Howell said with a sigh. “Creighton, strike that portion of the clause.”

 

“As you wish, Sir,” the Alpha lawyer responded with a bow toward his employer. He opened the laptop that had been sitting at his elbow, and Dan could see that he had the contract open there. As they watched, Creighton edited the document until that particular clause said only that any potential children of his would not be acknowledged by the family and were barred from inheriting lands or titles. It still pained him to agree to something like that, but Beta Alicia had advised him that it was within Alpha Howell’s rights to decide it, as head of the family.

 

“What is your second demand?” Creighton asked then.

 

“The final clause,” Beta Alicia said, “which requires the contents of the contract be kept secret from all but those present at its signing on penalty of disinheritance— My client refuses to agree to that. He demands the right to discuss the terms of the contract with other members of the Howell family.”

 

Creighton didn’t have to look at Alpha Howell this time.

 

“I’m afraid we cannot concede that,” he said in his well-bred monotone. “My client stands firm on the secrecy of the terms.”

 

“My client insists on the right to discuss the terms with his Omega Mother and with his Alpha Sister, whom he states are already familiar with the nature of his agreement with Lord Alpha Howell,” Beta Alicia countered.

 

That made his Father lean forward in his chair with a thunderous expression on his face.

 

“You’ve already discussed this with your mother and sister?” he growled.

 

“I couldn’t help it,” Dan said, keeping his voice as calm and even as he possibly could. “They were in the room with me when I called you to discuss the matter originally.”

 

He was pushing the truth a bit by claiming they already knew what his agreement with his Father was. They’d only known that Alpha Howell had forced him into some sort of bargain before agreeing to sell Phil. But he had to try this. Phil had a right to know.

 

Creighton and Alpha Howell had leaned their heads together and were murmuring inaudibly between themselves. At last they sat upright again, and Creighton turned his pale-eyed stare on Beta Alicia again.

 

“My client concedes that what has already been communicated to Omega Howell and Alpha Leila cannot be taken back, but he insists that any additional information about the terms of the contract remain secret from them and from anyone else.”

 

“That means Father can’t discuss the terms of the contract with anyone else, either, correct?” Dan asked, directing his question to Beta Alicia.

 

“Yes, that’s correct,” she said, giving him a smile before she turned back to Creighton. “When both parties sign the contract, they will both be bound by the secrecy clause.”

 

Creighton responded with a single nod.

 

Dan bit his lip.

 

“Am I at least allowed to tell Mum or Leila that I’m not allowed to discuss the contract if they ask me about it?” he put in.

 

“Yes,” Beta Alicia told him, turning to face him again. “The secrecy clause only requires secrecy of the foregoing terms. It is not inclusive of the secrecy clause itself.”

 

Dan nodded. Okay. He could work with that.

 

Beta Alicia turned back to Creighton and began discussing the addition of the proviso that Omega Howell and Alpha Leila were already partially aware of the terms of the contract, but Dan had eyes only for his Father’s face. Alpha Howell was watching him with a look he could only describe as calculating.

 

Somehow he managed to hold his countenance. Even if Alpha Howell had guessed what he planned to do, there was nothing he could do to prevent it. 

 

A few minutes later, the updated contract had been printed out, and everything was laid out on the table in front of them for him and his Father to both initial and sign, in quadruplicate. The signing portion was over rather quickly, though the finalizing of Phil’s sale took a little longer. Since it was a substantial amount of money Dan was transferring to his Father, he had had to set things up with his bank beforehand. Now, all he had to do was make a phone call, but it still took some time for them to complete the transfer and for his Father to confirm receipt of the funds.

 

But then, at last, he had the contract of sale demonstrating the purchase of Phil from his previous owner, and he had the receipt showing said owner had received the agreed-upon payment, and, best of all, he had the documents of ownership, transferred to his name, proving to all the world that Phil belonged to him and him alone.

 

“I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into,” his Father warned as they all got to their feet to leave. “I will hold you to every single one of those terms.”

 

“I know, Father,” Dan replied coolly and then turned and strode out of the study with Beta Alicia close on his heels.

 

Once they were out in the corridor, she turned to him.

 

“You were excellent in there,” she murmured. “Perhaps you should consider becoming a lawyer yourself,” she added with a laugh.

 

He shook his head and grinned at her, feeling giddy with sudden relief. Phil was safely his, finally.

 

“No, I don’t think I’m really cut out for law,” he replied. “I need to help Phil get ready to leave. Would you go on ahead to the courts?”

 

“Yes, of course,” she said and then offered him a quick bow.

 

On his way up to his quarters, he texted Leila.

 

**_Dan_ **

_i own phil now. i’m not allowed to tell anyone about the terms of the contract, though._

 

His sister replied at once. He guessed she’d been waiting to hear from him.

 

**_Smelly_ **

_you haven’t told phil yet have you. idiot._

 

**_Dan_ **

_i wanted to wait until after he was free._

 

**_Smelly_ **

_idiot. are you going to the courts now?_

 

**_Dan_ **

_in a minute. dad says phil can’t live here anymore once he’s free. i'm going to send him down to his quarters to pack up now._

 

**_Smelly_ **

_that fast? i guess i’d better make my good-byes_

 

**_Dan_ **

_i think he’d appreciate that_

 

He hoped she’d understood. He thought she had.

 

Beta Alicia had explained during their conference in the hallway that if he asked his mother or sister to reveal the terms of the agreement to someone else, that would still be considered a breach of the secrecy clause. However, they were not bound by the contract since they hadn’t signed it, so they could choose to talk about what they knew to anyone they wanted.

 

Leila was a smart Alpha. He hoped she would figure that out on her own.

 

When he made it back to his own quarters, he found Phil sat there on the rug beside the fire. October had grown increasingly chilly over the past week, and he’d started having fires built every day. He was glad their new flat had a small fireplace as well since it looked like they would be moving there sooner rather than later.

 

“The sale is complete,” Dan said in response to the anxious face Phil turned toward him as soon as the door opened.

 

He could see the Alpha’s shoulders physically slump with relief. He walked over and sat down beside him, and the Alpha pulled him into a fierce hug at once.

 

“Thank you,” he breathed. “Thank you.”

 

“We’re going down to the courts to file our petition in a bit,” Dan told him once they’d pulled apart again. “But first… You’ll have to pack up and say your good-byes to everyone.”

 

The Alpha’s eyes went wide at that. Dan’s heart gave a guilty thump.

 

“My loving Father has said you can’t live here anymore once you’re free,” Dan explained. That hadn’t actually been in the terms of the contract, so there wasn’t any issue with him telling Phil about it. “He also told me you, um…you can’t come back here after that.” That was one of the terms of the contract, but Dan figured since he was just repeating what his Father had told him, it wouldn’t count as a breach.

 

The expression in Phil’s eyes tore at Dan’s heart. He had known that would be hard on him. Leila and Elizabeth could simply come visit them at their new flat, but the house slaves Phil had befriended… There was no guarantee he’d ever be able to see any of them again.

 

The Alpha only nodded, though. Dan wondered if he’d guessed there would be a price to pay for his freedom.

 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, pulling Phil close again. The Alpha burrowed his face against Dan’s neck, and Dan thought he might be crying. He rubbed his hand up and down his back and rocked him a little back and forth, like he would a sobbing child.

 

He should have told him everything sooner, at once. He should have known his Father would force him into something like this.

 

Never mind, though. What was done was done.

 

Eventually, the Alpha’s tears dried, and after a few more embraces and tender kisses, Dan sent him off to the slave quarters to gather up his few belongings. Once he was gone, Dan went over to the intercom and called for Tony.

 

“Yes, Sir?” came the slave’s voice.

 

“I’m taking Phil down to the courts in a little while. While we’re gone, please see to it my things are packed and that both mine and Phil’s belongings are delivered to the new flat at once.”

 

There was a pause on the other end, and when the slave replied, Dan thought he sounded just a little bit choked up. For Tony, this was the second time he was having to watch his Master go.

 

“Right away, Sir,” was all he said, though.

 

 

**

 

When Phil opened the door into his room in the slave quarters for the last time, he was surprised to find Alpha Leila waiting for him there. She was perched on the edge of his bed with an open suitcase sitting at her feet.

 

“Dan told me he was sending you down here to pack,” she said, standing with a smile. “I took the liberty of having them send some luggage down for you.”

 

“Thank you, Alpha Leila,” he said, bowing deeply to her.

 

“Shut the door,” she ordered, so he closed the door behind him and then stood waiting for her next command. “Come sit down with me,” she said, settling back onto the bed and patting the space beside her.

 

He walked over and sat down on the bed next to her.

 

“Dan said he’s bought you from our Father,” she started, regarding him with a hard-eyed gaze. “Did he tell you what our dear Father forced him to agree to?”

 

Phil blinked at her.

 

“Um,” he stammered, “He, um, he said that Alpha Howell required him to pay full price for me.”

 

“Yes,” she agreed. “What else?”

 

Phil frowned. There was more?

 

“He… He said I had to leave at once and never come back?”

 

Her expression softened a little, and she reached out a hand to lightly squeeze his shoulder.

 

“Yes, I knew he’d said you had to leave. I didn’t know that you weren’t allowed to come back,” she said. “I’m very sorry to hear that.”

 

Phil bit his lip. Her words were meant to comfort him, but if she hadn’t known about that, then…that mean there was more.

 

“What else did Dan have to agree to, Alpha Leila?” he asked.

 

She sighed, and her hand dropped from his shoulder.

 

“I’m not entirely sure,” she said, looking away in annoyance. “Dan wouldn’t say when he got off the phone with Dad, but I heard at least his side of the conversation.”

 

Phil could barely breathe through the painful squeezing of his heart in his chest. He nodded for her to go on.

 

“He told Dad that he didn’t want to get married again, and then he said something about how if you wanted to stay with him without a guarantee that you would marry or bond or have children, then that should be your decision.”

 

That fit with what Dan had told him at the old apartment the other day, that he wasn’t sure when he would be ready to bond again.

 

“Then he got really silent,” Leila was saying, “and he had this expression on his face like a rug had been pulled out from under him.” She shrugged and turned back to face Phil again, “and then he told Dad that he had a deal.”

 

 

“That’s all you know?” Phil prompted.

 

“Yes,” she said. “So I’m not sure what Dad made Dan agree to, but… I think it may have been that he couldn’t marry or bond with you.”

 

Phil stopped breathing for a moment. Dan had agreed that they could _never_ marry or bond? 

 

“Unfortunately,” Leila continued, “neither of us can just ask him as it seems one of the terms of the agreement is that he is not allowed to tell anyone what the agreement is.”

 

Phil turned that over in his mind.

 

“So…it could be something else?” he said after a minute.

 

“It could be,” she agreed, though her tone said she didn’t think that was likely.

 

Phil forced himself to take several deep breaths, to calm the dizzy pounding of his heart.

 

“Thank you,” he finally managed to say. “For telling me.”

 

“Of course,” she said and then got to her feet. “Now, let me help you pack.”

 

 

**

 

 

The court room was crowded when they took their seats to wait their turn for the judge to decide their case. Dan squeezed his hand as they settled onto the hard wooden bench. Phil was glad he was there, and he was also glad for the presence of the lawyer, Beta Alicia. She had an aura of reassuring competence that had helped him stay calm through all of this.

 

They’d arrived at the courts around 1:00 PM, after Phil had eaten his last lunch with the slaves of the Howell residence. There had been a lot of tearful good-byes that he didn’t want to think about too much right now. It was the third home he’d lost in as many years.

 

They’d met with some government official first, a young Alpha who seemed to be old friends with Dan. They and their clerk had already looked over the petition of manumission with Beta Alicia earlier in the day and logged Phil’s sale in the national slave register. He was now legally Dan’s property.

 

The official had then helped them fill out a form that would officially change Phil’s legal name on all of the relevant documents.

 

“All right, Phil,” the young Alpha had said, turning to him with a smile after they’d pulled up the form on their computer. “What is the new name you would like to take?”

 

“I’d like to change my surname to Lester, please,” Phil had replied. “It was, um, it was my Alpha Mum’s name…before she was sold, I mean.”

 

Dan had squeezed his hand and given him an encouraging smile, and then the Alpha had put down Lester on the form, and suddenly, just like that, he had a new name, the name he’d always dreamed of having.

 

Then Phil had been taken away to be examined by a doctor and then a psychologist. Dan wasn’t allowed to go with him for this, but Beta Alicia was. She explained on the way to the first appointment that they had to ensure that Phil was eligible for freedom, both on the basis that he was not bonded to his Master or any of his Master’s household and on the basis that he was competent to care for himself.

 

Fortunately, his appointments with both the doctor and the psychologist were quick. The doctor gave him a basic check-up and signed a form certifying that he was healthy and unbonded. Then the psychologist spoke to him for about fifteen minutes to assess his mental state and signed another form certifying him as mentally sound.

 

And now they’d met up with Dan again so that their petition could be presented before the judge of the Civil Slave Court, which presided over civil cases involving slave issues.

 

There were a lot of cases on the docket to be heard before theirs, and as the minutes crept by, Phil began to worry that the judge wouldn’t even have time to get to their case today. It was a Friday afternoon, after all, and he was sure they wouldn’t be very interested in staying late.

 

But then, finally, finally, the judge called their case number, and Beta Alicia nodded to them both to stand and approach the bench.

 

They walked forward, hand in hand, with the Beta lawyer beside them, to stand in front of a little fence that divided them from the empty space before the judge’s bench. The judge was a wrinkled old Alpha who was wearing one of those funny white wigs that, at any other time, might have made Phil giggle.

 

“Will Lord Omega Daniel James Chesterworth please step forward,” the judge called, and Dan walked up to the fence and stopped.

 

“Present,” he called. Phil was amazed at how calm he seemed.

 

“You are petitioning this court to free the Alpha slave known as Philip Michael Lester, formerly known as Philip Michael Pritchard.”

 

“I am,” Dan responded.

 

“And you do hereby swear, before this court, that you have the right of manumission and that, to the best of your knowledge, said slave is eligible for manumission?” the judge asked, looking over their thick glasses at a set of papers they held in front of them. Phil thought they must be the forms signed by the doctor and the psychologist.

 

“I do so swear,” Dan replied.

 

“Alpha Philip Michael Lester, please step forward,” the judge said then, and Phil walked up to stand beside Dan at the fence.

 

“Present,” he said, copying what Dan had done.

 

“This court finds you eligible for manumission and grants you the full rights of a free citizen of this country.” The judge smiled at him. “Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your freedom.”

 

Phil’s face split wide open in a grin, and tears sprang at once to his eyes.

 

“Thank you, Sir,” he replied.

 

The judge’s gavel rang out, and then, just like that, it was all over.

 

At 3:22 PM on Friday, October 19th, 2012, two years, four months, and eleven days after he was sold into slavery, Phil was finally granted his second chance at freedom.

 

He didn’t know quite how he made it from the courtroom to the steps of the building outside, but he remembered Dan’s hand clasped in his the whole way there. Everything was blurry because he was sobbing, but he also couldn’t stop smiling, and when they were outside at last, Dan threw his arms around his neck, and they kissed each other like they were all alone and it was the first time again.

 

Eventually, Dan let him go and pulled out a handkerchief, and Phil scrubbed at his face. He supposed he ought to be embarrassed, sobbing like that in public, but honestly today he just didn’t care what anyone else thought.

 

“You’re a free Alpha now,” Dan said when he finally handed back the handkerchief.

 

“It almost doesn’t feel real,” he whispered.

 

“Oh, it’s very real,” Dan told him with a grin. “And we have all of the documents to prove it. Alicia should be back in a moment. She went to finish up some paperwork, but she said we weren’t needed for it.”

 

“Dan” he said then, his expression turning more serious.

 

“Yes?” The Omega’s grin disappeared as swiftly as it had arrived.

 

“Remember how you told me I should think about what I wanted my first act to be as a free Alpha?”

 

“Yes,” Dan said, eyeing him with caution.

 

“I decided what I want to do, if you don’t mind having your car take me.”

 

Dan shook his head.

 

“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”

 

“I want to go see my parents,” Phil said, his voice cracking on the final word.

 

The Omega’s hand reached out and squeezed his at once.

 

“Of course,” he said.

 

It had been more than two years since Phil had seen his parents, but not a single day had passed that he hadn’t missed them. In all that time, he’d had no idea how they were, whether they were still even living with their original owners, whether they ached for him as he still ached for them.

 

It seemed ages before Beta Alicia returned, but when she did, she handed them a file that held all of the documents relevant to Phil’s freedom, including a temporary ID document that he could use until the new one was sent to him by mail. He could cut up the old one now, the one with the giant S over his name marking him as a slave.

 

“Thank you so much for everything, Beta Alicia,” Phil told her, hoping his tone conveyed just how fervently thankful he really was.

 

“You’re very welcome, Alpha Phil,” she replied with a broad smile. “And of course you have my card if you ever need me for anything in the future.”

 

Dan thanked her too then and mentioned some future meeting they had planned, but Phil was too distracted thinking about finally seeing his parents again to pay much attention to it.

 

Dan held his hand in the car during the entire interminable drive to the house he had grown up in. It was in a far-flung part of the city, a quiet residential area full of the homes of the upper middle class. It was so weird to be going back there now, to somewhere he’d thought he would never see again.

 

“Do you want me to go with you?” Dan asked when Phil called for the driver to stop at the end of the block.

 

Phil shook his head.

 

“No,” he said. “This is something I have to do alone.”

 

Dan gave his hand a squeeze and then dropped a quick kiss on his cheek.

 

“I’ll be waiting here for you then,” he murmured.

 

Phil nodded and then climbed out of the car.

 

He’d walked this block countless times in his life, going to and from school, or walking to the park with his dad, or accompanying one of the kitchen slaves to the grocery store.

 

It surprised him how little it had changed. He himself had gone through upheaval after upheaval these past couple of years, but the pretty brick walls and freshly-painted front doors of this street looked just the same as they always had.

 

He didn’t walk down the street this time. Instead, he turned the corner, traversing half the block before he reached the entrance to the alleyway. The houses didn’t look quite so pretty from this side, back here where all the wires showed and the garbage bins stood, full and ready to picked up. He’d journeyed down this alleyway even more times.

 

It was a quick walk up to the little gate that opened onto the Pritchards’ garden. He peeked over and then, seeing no one was about, slipped inside and over to the slaves’ entrance round the corner of the house.

 

He knocked, which felt weird too. He’d never had to knock at this particular door before.

 

He waited, just a minute, before the door swung open. On the other side stood Annie, the tiny Beta slave who had been the Pritchards’ cook for as long as he knew.

 

She stared at him, pale-faced for several seconds, and then she gave a little cry and flung her arms around his neck. She barely came up to his elbow, so he had to bend quite a ways down to let her really get her arms around him, but he didn’t mind.

 

“Phil, oh, Phil. Is it really you?” she exclaimed. “I never thought we’d see you again.”

 

“It’s me, Annie,” he said, tears leaking from his eyes again.

 

“Oh, and with Nigel just gone out, but your Mum’s here all right,” she said, letting him go and then staring up at him as though she still couldn’t believe it was him. “Come in to the kitchen, and I’ll bring her to you right this minute.”

 

He found himself dragged inexorably into the familiar kitchen and plunked down at the pockmarked old table while Annie put a kettle on and then whisked out of the room in search of his Alpha Mother.

 

Phil sat and stared around the kitchen, still enveloped in that same sense of unreality. It was all the same, everything exactly the same as he had left it, down to that burnt spot on the side of the kettle from the time he’d made himself tea and left it on too long.

 

“Phil?”

 

He turned around to see his Mum stood in the doorway, staring at him wide-eyed.

 

His Mum. His actual Mum was standing there, and she still looked exactly like his Mum had always looked.

 

“Mum!” he cried, leaping to his feet. They both rushed forward, grabbing each other in a tight embrace.

 

“Oh, my baby,” she sobbed into his shoulder, “It’s really you.”

 

He nodded, too overcome to be able to say anything in response. They simply stood and held each other and sobbed until the kettle started shrieking, and they both jumped at the hideous sound.

 

“Just a moment, just a moment,” he heard Annie saying from across the room. “You two don’t mind me. I’ll just get you some tea and then make myself scarce again.”

 

“Thank you, Annie,” his Mum called, wiping at her eyes.

 

“Of course, of course,” the Beta said, bustling over the stove.

 

“Sit down,” Phil’s Mum told him then, pointing at the chair he’d just gotten out of. “Talk to me. Tell me what you’re doing here. Did your master give you a day off?”

 

Phil shook his head and smiled at her, not bothering to do anything about the tears streaming freely down his cheeks.

 

“No,” he told her as she settled herself in the chair across from him. “He set me free.”

 

Her mouth fell open and then her face crumpled up into a new round of sobs. She reached for him, and he leaned forward into the hug, and then she squeezed him tight and rocked him back and forth, her whole body shaking with the force of her sobs.

 

“Oh my god,” he heard Annie exclaiming from nearby. “Is it really true? Are you really a free Alpha again now?”

 

Phil nodded, and then his Mother finally let him go.

 

“I can’t believe it,” she whispered, wiping at her nose. Annie leaned over, holding out a box of tissues to her, and she pulled one out with a grateful look at the Beta cook. “How can it be? How did you convince him to let you go?”

 

Phil took a deep breath. He didn’t know quite where to start. He tried to begin by explaining that he hadn’t had to convince Dan of anything, but then he gave that up and decided it was better tojust start at the beginning. So he started with that first day, when he’d just finished his rut and Alpha Howell had come to the slave house to buy him, and then, with several interruptions for questions from his Mum and Annie both, he made his way through meeting Dan, through discovering the Omega’s story, through the two of them falling in love, and then through Dan deciding to buy him and set him free.

 

“We’ve got a little place together now,” he finished up. “He’s going to help me go back to school and finish my education, and then I’ll be able to get my own job and not just be a burden on him anymore.”

 

“And he really did free you?” his Mum asked again, her forehead wrinkled. “You’re sure?”

 

He nodded.

 

“We came just now from the courts. We filed a petition and went before a judge, and he pronounced me a free Alpha,” he said. “It’s registered and everything. No one can take that away from me again.”

 

“Oh, Phil,” she breathed, reaching out and taking his hand. “Oh, Phil, this is the second best day of my entire life,” she said, clutching his hand tight. “The only day that was better than this was the day you were born.”

 

He squeezed her hand back then.

 

“There’s going to be something even better,” he told her. “Once I’m working, I’m going to save up every penny I can, and I’m going to buy you and Dad’s freedom.”

 

Her expression turned suddenly very serious.

 

“Don’t worry about us, Phil,” she told him, leaning in very close. “We’re fine here. The Masters treat us very well. You just concentrate on making this new life of yours, okay? Get your education. Get yourself a job. That should be your focus right now.”

 

He nodded. He had thought she would probably say something like that. His Mum could be very practically minded.

 

“Do you think Dad will be back soon?” he asked. “I can always come and visit again, but I’d really like to see him today, if I can.”

 

She shook her head.

 

“Omega Pritchard took him out on a shopping trip, and you know how he can get,” she explained with an apologetic shrug.

 

Phil nodded. He vividly remembered Omega Pritchard’s epic shopping trips.

 

“Tell Dad I’m sorry I missed him, but I’ll be back soon,” he said.

 

“Of course, love,” she told him.

 

“Oh, and, Mum?” he added as they both began to stand.

 

“Yes?” she asked, turning a gaze on him that was so full of pride and affection, he felt tears pricking his eyes again.

 

“I have a new last name now,” he said. “It’s Lester now, like yours.”

 

 

When he finally made it back out to the car again, a whole hour had passed since he’d left. He found Dan curled up on the back seat playing some game on his phone. He sat upright at once when Phil pulled the door open.

 

“Hey,” he said.

 

“Hey,” Phil replied, wiping at his still-wet eyes. “Let’s go home.”

 

Dan nodded, slipping his phone into his pocket and scooted over to make room for Phil. When they’d buckled themselves in and Dan had given the order to the driver, Phil lay his head on the Omega’s shoulder and drew a deep breath of his calming scent.

 

It had been really hard to let go of his Mum when he’d hugged her good-bye. As much as he loved Dan and looked forward to starting their new life together, some part of him longed to never have to say good-bye to his Mum and dad again.

 

“How did it go?” Dan murmured, reaching down and taking hold of his hand.

 

“I saw my Mum,” Phil whispered back, “but my dad was out.”

 

“You’ll see him next time,” Dan reassured him.

 

“Yeah,” Phil said. “I will.”

 

He was glad Dan didn’t push him for any further conversation beyond that. He would talk to him more about his parents when he didn’t feel so much like crying.

 

The car dropped them off at the entrance to the new block of flats, and they went up together. They were only on the second floor, so they decided to walk instead of using the lift. At the door to the flat, they both fumbled around for a minute looking for the keys, until finally Dan found his.

 

Inside, everything was a bit of a mess. They hadn’t really been expecting to have to live here yet. The living room was completely empty, if you didn’t count the plastic on the floor and the cans of paint sitting there waiting to be slathered on the walls. Their kitchen table and chairs had been delivered, but none of the other furniture was there yet. There wasn’t any food in the kitchen either, but at least the electricity and lights were on.

 

“Where are we going to sleep?” Phil asked as they stood staring around their bedroom, which held nothing but the boxes and suitcases Tony had had sent over from the Howell residence.

 

“Um,” Dan said, “I think the bed is being delivered on Monday.”

 

“So,” Phil replied. “I guess we need to go shopping.”

 

They had to call an Uber to take them to the nearest store once Dan determined that it wasn’t in comfortable walking distance, at least not for the return journey with all of their bags.

 

“Are you going to buy a car and hire a driver to keep here?” Phil asked as they stood on the curb waiting for their car.

 

“I, uh, I hadn’t really considered it yet,” Dan said, looking at a bit of a loss. “I guess I should.”

 

“We could learn how to drive ourselves,” Phil pointed out. “Or just keep using public transport.”

 

“Huh,” Dan replied. “I guess we could.”

 

At the store, they picked up groceries, sleeping bags, and pillows. Dan assured him he’d had all of their toiletries sent over from the main house, and they had their clothes as well.

 

“Towels,” Phil suggested. “And a shower curtain.”

 

“Oh, right,” Dan said, frowning. Then he sighed. “And we haven’t even decided a color scheme for the bathroom yet.”

 

“We can just get plain white ones and a clear plastic liner for now,” Phil said.

 

“Oh,” the Omega replied, raising his eyebrows. “Good point.”

 

After that, Phil had the idea of just wandering all of the aisles looking for anything essential they might have forgotten. That’s how they ended up adding dishwashing detergent, toilet paper, tissues, and a box of chocolate-covered almonds to their trolley (The last may not have been quite as essential as the rest).

 

Back home again, they decided that this time they had probably better use the lift, considering Phil was loaded down with about ten carrier bags — they’d forgotten to buy shopping bags — and Dan was hefting two sleeping bags and two pillows.

 

Phil cooked them a simple pasta dinner while Dan prepared a salad, and they ate it on their gorgeous new oak table off of paper plates.

 

“Well, then, Alpha Phil Lester,” Dan grinned at him after dinner, as they carried their plates into the kitchen. “How are you enjoying life in your new home so far? Is it living up to your expectations?”

 

“I was expecting it to have more bin bags,” Phil said as he stood gazing around the kitchen with his used paper plate in hand, “and maybe also a bin.”

 

“Oops,” Dan said. “Guess we forgot those.”

 

They ended up using one of the carrier bags, and then they decided it was a good idea to start a list of things they should get on their next shopping trip. Once that was done, they laid out their sleeping bags on the bedroom floor and then Dan read aloud to Phil from one of the books he’d bought him all those months ago on their first outing together.

 

Phil had started to doze off, lulled by the soothing sound of Dan’s voice, when he was jerked awake again by a soft, “Phil?”

 

“Huh?” he muttered. “Oh. I’m awake.”

 

“Sure you are,” Dan teased, snapping the book shut and setting it down on the carpet beside him.

 

Phil rolled over on his side to more easily look at the Omega. He was stretched out on the shiny surface of a steel grey sleeping bag — Phil’s was bright blue — in navy blue pajamas, staring at Phil with a serious expression.

 

“What is it?” Phil asked when he saw the look in the Omega’s eyes.

 

“Remember the other day?” he began slowly. “When I said I might need some time before I was ready to bond again?”

 

Phil felt a tense knot pull tight in his stomach. He nodded. 

 

“I think… I might need a really long time,” Dan murmured, his eyes shining brightly with unshed tears. “And…you know, during that time, we’ll both have to be on suppressants, and…and, you know, even if you wanted to get married or bond… We wouldn’t be able to.”

 

“I know,” Phil said, keeping his voice as gentle as he could. “Your sister told me about the agreement.”

 

Dan’s eyes closed, and Phil could see the moisture glistening along the dark line of his lashes. He drew in a deep, shaky breath.

 

“You don’t have to stay with me, you know,” he said then. “If, maybe, you feel like you have to because you think you owe me something or…or even if you think that you have to stay with me because you can’t live on your own yet… I’ll still help you, you know. I’ll help you go back to school, even if you don’t want to be with me anymo—“

 

He stopped speaking because Phil had sat up and crawled over to him and stopped his voice with a fierce kiss. He took hold of the Omega’s shoulders and pulled him against his chest and pressed their lips together over and over again until the tears slid from Dan’s eyes at last.

 

Then Dan pulled back and stared at him, watery eyes searching the Alpha’s face.

 

“I don’t care what your Father made you agree to,” Phil whispered. “I just want to be with you, right now, in any way that I can. Okay? I’m not going anywhere.”

 

Dan nodded, reaching up to brush away the tears that seemed to insist on continuing to fall.

 

They lay together on Dan’s sleeping bag for a long time, just holding each other and murmuring their love and kissing the tears from one another’s cheeks. Eventually, they spread the sleeping bag out and then pulled Phil’s over them as a blanket.

 

It was dark outside with a thin sliver of moon hung in the sky when they both fell asleep under the bright light from the curtainless window.

 

Perhaps it wasn’t exactly the way Phil had imagined he would spend his first night as a free Alpha, but all things considered, he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for posting this late! This chapter ended up being both longer and more complicated than I was expecting. However, it is done. The final installment of this fic will be posted on Saturday. :)


	19. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Month Eight

Claire set down her cup of herbal tea with a small, secret smile folding her lips.

 

“I’m expecting,” she whispered, her smile deepening with the confession.

 

Dan could only stare. They were all gathered around the massive fireplace in the formal sitting room of the Chesterworth residence, the entire extended Chesterworth clan, the family’s close friends, and Dan, the bereaved widow. Everyone else had fallen into other conversations, so Claire had taken the opportunity to lean in close and tell him she had something important to share.

 

“That’s wonderful,” he responded when his first shock had passed. “Congratulations! I didn’t know you were even trying.”

 

She laughed and gave a shrug of her elegant shoulders.

 

“Well, you know, when Louisa and I first married, we discussed wanting children soon, and then when my last heat was about to start, we talked about it, and—“ She shrugged again. “We just felt that it was time.”

 

Dan continued to gush his excitement to her for several more minutes, but inside he could admit to feeling an unexpected pang of loss.

 

That could have been him.

 

Had David lived, had his career finally begun to take off the way he’d wanted — as it had every sign of doing just before he’d passed — it could have been Dan sitting here now surrounded by their gathered relations, announcing the expected arrival of his firstborn.

 

Would it have been an Alpha, he wondered, to carry on the Chesterworth title and name?

 

With David’s death, those would now pass to Alpha Chesterworth’s younger Alpha brother or one of his two Alpha children. While they were the children of an Omega slave and therefore technically barred from the line of inheritance, in cases such as these, the law allowed exceptions. In most families, directly-descended Alphas, even illegitimate ones, were preferred to Omega children like Claire. She and her descendants would only have been allowed to inherit had no direct-line Alpha descendants remained.

 

That’s just how it was for Omegas. Dan had accepted that long ago. Even without his Father’s contract, he doubted his children would have ever stood to inherit much of anything from his family.

 

And it wasn’t like he really even wanted children right now anyway. He would probably always feel a small bit of sadness when he thought of his and David’s children that would never be. But even greater was his feeling of relief — not relief at David’s death. He had never wished David anything but good. Yet out of that tragedy had come the most precious thing Dan had ever received — a second chance. A second chance to build the life _he_ wanted, not the one his Father or some other Alpha had decided for him.

 

And for now, he was content for that life to be just him and Phil. Their relationship was still brand new, barely eight months old, and there were so many obstacles that could keep them apart — the differences in their families, their backgrounds, their social status… This stupid contract his Alpha Father had forced him to agree to. Yet he was sure Phil was worth every risk.

 

And now that Phil was free and back in school, if they did eventually part, he knew that Phil would be okay. He could steer his own course now and soon would be able to support himself too. Dan was so proud of him, so proud of how he’d taken charge of his life again despite every setback the world had thrown at him.

 

He talked about saving up to buy his parents’ freedom. Dan had offered the money, of course, but Phil had politely declined. Dan understood. Now that he had his freedom, he wanted his independence too. Dan had found independence of his own, so he couldn’t really begrudge Phil his.

 

“Louisa and I are quitting, you know.”

 

Claire’s voice tore him back to the present conversation, and he stared at her in bewilderment until she clarified.

 

“Smoking, I mean.” She raised a hand and rested it on her still-flat abdomen in that gesture he’d seen so many other expectant parents make. “Louisa’s gone on the patch, but I decided to just,” — she made a cutting gesture with one hand — “all at once.”

 

“Wow, that’s… That’s really great, Claire,” he said, leaning forward and squeezing her knee. “I’m so proud of you.”

 

She responded with a hesitant smile.

 

“I’ve been thinking a lot about death lately,” she murmured, glancing around at all the black-clad people stood about them, “and how suddenly people can be gone.” She paused and drew in a shaky breath. “I want this little one to have everything, you know? Everything we can possibly give them, and that includes we ourselves. I want us both to live a really long time and see our child grow to adulthood.”

 

Dan nodded. Yes. He understood that. Someday, if he ever had a child of his own… But it was dangerous thinking too far down that road.

 

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Louisa approaching.

 

“Hello, Dan,” she said as she strode past. She stopped just behind the chair Claire was seated in and gazed down at her Omega with an expression of such tenderness he couldn’t help feeling another pang. He wished Phil could have been here today. “Did Claire tell you our news then?” the Alpha asked when she had looked up into Dan’s eyes again.

 

He grinned.

 

“She did. Congratulations to you both!”

 

“Excited to become Uncle Dan, are you?” Louisa teased. “Just make sure not to spoil the kid with too many presents. You can’t make me and Claire look bad, you know.”

 

“Never!” he retorted. “If I know the first thing about you, Louisa, you’ll buy the poor thing so many toys there won’t be anything left for anyone else to give them!”

 

Claire let out a ripple of laughter and shot a twinkling glance up at her Alpha.

 

“You can’t fool him, love,” she said. “He knows you.”

 

It felt funny, in a warm and slightly melancholy way, to hear Louisa calling him their child’s uncle. Technically, Claire wasn’t his sister-in-law anymore, and yet it was nice to think that in some way they would always be part of each other’s family.

 

Up on the mantelpiece, the Edwardian-era ebony-inlaid clock chimed twice, and there was a momentary pause in the buzz of conversation as everyone noted the hour.

 

“Oh, is it 2:00 already?” Louisa frowned. “My apologies, darling, but you know I have that meeting—“

 

“Yes, of course, my love,” Claire said, holding up a hand that Louisa took and then carried to her lips. “I’ll be home for dinner,” the Omega said.

 

Her Alpha nodded, released her hand, and then turned to Dan.

 

“It was good to see you, Dan,” she said and gave him that smile he’d grown so accustomed to seeing since David’s death — the smile people gave you when they were afraid of looking too happy because of how sad they believed you must be.

 

“You as well, Louisa,” he said, and then she hurried off to give her farewells to Alpha and Omega Chesterworth.

 

“I believe I ought to be going as well,” Dan said, pushing up from his chair. He’d arrived early this morning, just after 8:00, to help with the preparations for the service. It was the first time he’d been to the Chesterworth main house in months. He doubted he would be coming here very often from now on. There was simply no reason anymore. “Phil will be home from his class soon,” he added.

 

She smiled up at him.

 

“Tell him I send my love,” she murmured.

 

He nodded. She and Phil had met a few times now. He was very grateful to her and Louisa for how easily they had accepted Phil into his life. With his mourning officially ended now and the accompanying re-entry into social life, he could only hope the rest of his friends and acquaintance would follow their lead.

 

“I will,” he assured her and then made his way over to offer his good-byes to David’s parents.

 

Alpha and Omega Chesterworth were standing near the door, greeting those who were drifting away now that the gathering was beginning to wind down.

 

Omega Chesterworth gave Dan a small smile and held out his hands as the younger Omega stopped in front of him.

 

“Thank you so much for all of your help today, Daniel,” he murmured. He was dressed in a somber black suit that matched the air of sadness that always clung to him. New lines had appeared in the dark skin of his face over this past year. He’d taken David’s death harder than anyone. “I don’t know how we could have gotten this all done without you.”

 

“I was happy to do it, Charles,” Dan assured him, squeezing his hands and returning his smile.

 

“And it was such a lovely idea you had, displaying David’s works.” The Omega paused to nod across the room where a series of David’s paintings had been set up on stands along one wall. “And so sweet of you to take care of borrowing all of them from the owners.”

 

“Of course,” Dan murmured. “I think he would be happy knowing everyone had a chance to admire his work today.”

 

Omega Chesterworth’s eyes welled up, and he nodded.

 

“Yes, I think you’re right,” he said.

 

They exchanged a few more comments, Alpha Chesterworth standing tall and stoically silent beside their husband all the while, and then Dan finally managed to bid them farewell and make his exit.

 

It was a relief to get away at last, even if it meant he had to step outside into a chilly, blustery day.

 

Today had been all about David. It was the one year anniversary of his death, which marked the end of the family’s official mourning period, and the Chesterworths had arranged a memorial service in the late Alpha’s honor. In addition to the display of his artwork, there had been a short film they had commissioned, remembering his life, and a lunch where all those who had known him could sit down together and share their memories and stories.

 

It had been good for Dan to go, to remember, to share in others’ memories, but leaving the house now felt like shutting a door. Like he could finally turn the page on that chapter of his life. His bonding mark had already disappeared for good about two months back, and it had been even longer than that since he’d smelled anything at all like David.

 

Last month, finally, he’d had his name officially changed from Chesterworth back to Howell. It was a good change, one he’d been eager to make for a long time now.

 

As the car pulled round to the front steps, he felt a quickening of excitement within him. There had been lots of good changes in his life as of late.

 

 

Phil managed to beat him home. There had been bad traffic, and they’d ended up sitting at a standstill for nearly twenty minutes.

 

When he walked in the door at last, the entire flat smelled of fresh-baked cookies. He drew in a deep breath and grinned.

 

“Phil, winter’s over! You can stop fattening me up,” he called as he made his way into the kitchen.

 

“Still freezing outside, though,” the Alpha replied as Dan stepped through into the room warm with heat from the oven. Phil was stood at the sink, scrubbing cookie dough from a large, glass bowl.

 

Dan strode over and slipped his hands around the Alpha’s waist from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder. Phil leaned back against him a little.

 

“How was class today?” Dan murmured into the Alpha’s ear.

 

“Fine,” he said, pausing in his scrubbing for a moment. “We had an exam at the end, so I was able to finish up early.”

 

“Mm,” Dan hummed, rocking the Alpha’s body back and forth just a tiny bit in his arms. “Guess that explains the cookies.”

 

“How was the service?” Phil asked, leaning his head against the side of Dan’s. “Did you get the painting from that snooty old Omega in time?”

 

Dan let out an annoyed huff of air.

 

“Yes, just barely,” he muttered. “Took me going up to her flat myself and shedding some fake tears to convince her.”

 

“Ridiculous,” Phil said, shaking his head a bit.

 

“And the service was lovely,” Dan continued. “I’m glad it’s over now, though. I can finally have a normal life again.”

 

He’d been easing himself back into society bit by bit ever since moving out of his Father’s house. He had started with a few hours of volunteer work at a slaves’ rights charity Beta Alicia had told him about. She’d told him she did pro bono work for them sometimes since she specialized in slave law, and when, during their final meeting, he’d mentioned needing something to do while Phil was off at school during the day, she’d suggested he try there as they were looking for more Omega volunteers.

 

His work there had turned into something of a part-time job, but he didn’t mind. More than just filling the lonely hours, it allowed him to feel he was a useful member of society at last.

 

Now that he would be allowed to attend social events again, the charity wanted him to attend some of their fundraising dinners to schmooze and talk them up. His skills in that area were a little rusty, but he had every confidence he’d get back in the swing of things in no time. A bit more nerve-wracking was the idea of going to parties and events where his old friends would be again.

 

So much had changed about him over the past year. Would they even really be his friends anymore?

 

He noticed that Phil had gone very still and quiet in his arms.

 

“I guess you’ll be wanting to go out more often now,” he said to Dan.

 

Dan leaned more heavily against him and let out a loud sigh.

 

“I’d happily trade every party, dinner, and dance in the world for an evening here at home with you,” he muttered. “But I have to face my old friends sometime.”

 

It was something they’d discussed more and more often over the past couple of months, how Phil would fit in once he started associating with people from his old life again. While he had been in mourning, it wasn’t really an issue. Though the occasional friend would ask him out for coffee or over for a quiet dinner, so far he hadn’t had any invitations to events that really needed the attendance of a significant other.

 

Phil had argued that it wouldn’t be appropriate for Dan to take someone like him to his friends’ fancy events.

 

Dan had objected that there couldn’t be anything more appropriate. Phil _was_ his significant other, after all. He belonged at Dan’s side, no matter where he went.

 

He’d finally convinced him by confessing how nervous he was to see them all again and how much easier it would be to face them with Phil there as moral support.

 

“We can face them together,” the Alpha said at last, turning to press a kiss to his forehead and then getting back to his washing.

 

“Yes,” Dan agreed, releasing his waist and stepping back. “I think the cookies are on the verge of burning.”

 

“Oh crap!” Phil cried, yanking his hands out of the soapy water and hurriedly drying them on the towel hanging from a nearby cabinet.

 

Dan watched in amusement as the Alpha rushed over to the oven, pulled the door open, started to reach for the cookie sheet, remembered just in time that he needed an oven mitt, grabbed said oven mitt from the countertop, and then whisked the cookies out of the oven just before they started to go black.

 

“They're a little overdone,” he apologized, shutting the oven door and staring down at the very brown cookies.

 

“Still smell delicious,” Dan assured him. “I’m going to go change out of my suit.”

 

“Mm hmm,” Phil called, frowning down at the cookies.

 

Dan smiled and shook his head as he made his way out of the kitchen again. At least he could be pretty certain that Phil would never manage to burn the house down. They always kept fresh batteries in the smoke detectors and an up-to-date fire extinguisher next to the oven.

 

It had taken a few weeks for them to make the flat really liveable, or at least Dan’s idea of liveable. For the first little while, they’d had to live with the smell of fresh paint and constant interruptions from movers and renovators. At least they hadn’t had to spend too many nights camped out on the bedroom floor. Their new bed had arrived on time the Monday after they’d moved in.

 

Now, though, six months later, their life here seemed practically idyllic. Yes, the flat was tiny compared to his old one, the neighborhood comfortable rather than fashionable, the furniture pretty but not designer… Yet in nearly every way, the happiness of his life here in the flat he shared with Phil far exceeded anything he’d experienced before.

 

And, yes, the agreement with his Father had cast a small shadow over that happiness. Every day he grew more certain that he wanted to keep what he and Phil had for as long as he lived, but he couldn’t tell Phil that, not for many more years.

 

Nevertheless, Phil showed every sign of being just as content with their life here as he was. Alpha Howell thought he was playing the long game, slowly choking the air from their relationship by denying them the possibility of a long-term commitment. But Dan thought they could outlast him. It would be a long and grueling battle, a contest of wills between him and Phil and his Alpha Father.

 

But he knew they could win.

 

Changed into a t-shirt and sweats now, he made his way back into the kitchen, where Phil was carefully prying the cookies off their cookie sheet to place them on a cooling rack.

 

“Can I help?” Dan asked, walking over and pulling a second spatula from a drawer.

 

“Sure,” the Alpha said, shooting him a grin that made his heart leap in his chest.

 

Just nine years and six months more.

 

They could do that easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe it's finished. Thank you so, so much to everyone who has read, kudos'ed, commented, bookmarked, subscribed -- Without your support, this fic wouldn't be here! Also, huge thanks to Nikki for making me gorgeous cover art, linked in Chapter 2, and Viviana for so beautifully illustrating the scene from Chapter 9. If you haven't gone and liked/retweeted/reblogged their art and let them know how amazing it is, please do!! I hope you've all enjoyed this final installment as much as I enjoyed writing it. <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, all! Yes, I'm posting a new chaptered fic even though it's been forever since I updated the last one. Yes, there will be new chapters of "Stuck in a Rut" SOON. I hope you will enjoy this one too! <3


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